Tales of a Soul
by angelfan86
Summary: X I've finally updated Chapter 5 is now up!X A seer, living in 1763, is sired by Angelus. She brings many surprises along with her, and Angelus soon discovers that all is not as it seems with his new lover.
1. Memories of the past prt 1

_**Disclaimer:** All the characters are based on the television shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I do not own them, get money for writing about them and have no permission from Joss Whedon or anyone else who might care_

_**Author's note** this story goes A/U in Angel after "sleep tight". I know, I know, I'm messing with the time line and with Drusilla. Angelus really sired her, but I just love playing with flash backs of Angelus. I'm also messing with Holtz and his family. And with Connor... I'm also messing with season six of Buffy...But just be patient... Most everything will go back to the way Joss Whedon had it in the first place eventually. Pairings Aus/D, S/Dru, Aus/other_

_**Author's Note 2: **This is the first of a four part flashback. It was originally all one chapter, but that was nearly fourty pages long so I decided to divide it up._

_June 17th 1763_

_The visions are returning. Today was the worst. The images were extremely vivid, and the vision lasted almost an hour. My mother walked into the room right after the vision stopped. I told her that I merely had a headache. She was satisfied with my answer. If the visions keep coming, my parents will be become suspicious. If they find out that the visions have returned, then one of two things will happen; they will either take me to the local priest, or they will turn me out of the house in secret, most likely sending me to an insane asylum. I am not crazy, and I won't let them turn me over to the priest! I would rather die! So I have come up with a plan. If they find out that the visions have returned, I will run away. Tis a sin, I know, but I have no other choice._

_The young woman leaned back in her chair and began to massage her forehead. Another woman came into the room. "Are ye alright dear?" _

_"Yes, momma, I'm..." But she never finished what she was going to say. Another vision came upon her._

A strange man with a strange face and sharp teeth. A struggle. A girl. Another house. Blood. Pain. Death.

_The vision stopped. Her mother looked at her in horror. "So, ye've been seein' again have ye? Wait until yer father comes home! Ye've shamed us for the last time, Katherine." And with that, the mother left the room and shut the door. Katherine sat down on her bed and began to cry. Then she walked over and stood in front of her mirror. She was young, about nineteen, with__deep blue eyes, and somewhat pale skin. She picked up a brush and began to brush through her long, curly, brown hair. She had a small frame; she was only 5' 5", which sometimes made her seem a couple of years younger than she really was._

_Later that evening, the girl's father came home. "Katherine! Come down here!" _

_Trembling she obeyed. "Yes, father?" _

_"Your mother tells me ye've been having visions." Katherine nodded. "Did your mother and I not tell you to stop that devilry?" _

_"You did, sir." _

_"I work very hard to stop evil. And now my own daughter brings evil into my house. I will not turn a blind eye to it this time, Katherine. I will turn you over to Father Caleb as I told you the last time you were dabbling in this wickedness." _

"_Papa, no! Please don't give me to him! I'll be good! Please don't send me away!" _

"_Be silent! I will hear no more from you. Now go up to your room and wait until the priest arrives." _

_Katie obeyed silently. Once she got to her room she hurriedly started packing her meager possessions into a small bag. There was no way that she would let her father turn her over to Father Caleb. She would rather live on the streets than be put into the hands of that man. Just as she was about to climb out the window her door slammed open and she saw the priest silhouetted in the doorway.__Katherine screamed for her father to protect her as the priest dragged her into a waiting carriage. But he turned his back to her and went back inside._

_Katherine sat trembling in the priest's office. "So Miss Katherine, you've been having visions have you?" _

_"Yes, Sir." _

_"To see the future is a sin, you know that don't you?" _

_"Yes, father." _

_The priest rose from his chair and crossed in front of his desk. "You know that these visions are sinful... and yet you deliberately go ahead in this sin! Why is that? You come from a good family, and I see you every Sunday at mass. But you insist on having these visions! So there is only one solution for the likes of you. Of the devil you are and to the devil I will release you." _

"_Please Father, no, I beg you! I'll be good. I don't mean to have the visions, honest I don't!" _

"_Hush, child!" The priest walked over to the door. "You can come in now Angelus." _

_The door opened and a tall man walked into the room. "Thank you Father. But you only have to invite me in once." The man smiled and then looked at Katherine. "You're a mite small for a devil child, but you'll do. So come on let's go." He reached out his hand but she backed away from him in fear. _

_"I don't want to go with you. I want to go home!" _

_Angelus stepped closer to her. "You don't have a home anymore. Your father turned you over to the priest and now the good reverend has turned you over to me. So you see child, your home is wherever I say it is. Now come with me and be quiet about it." _

"_But, I..." Another vision came upon her._

Fear. Angelus. Another woman, a blond. Her family. The Priest. Death, slowly and painfully.

_Once the vision ceased, Katherine was so shaken she couldn't move. Angelus picked her up and carried her out to a waiting carriage. "Thank you Father for your kind donation!" _

_"Anytime, Angelus. You're always welcome in my home." The priest chuckled to himself as he watched the carriage drive away. "Silly girl, she has no idea what she is getting into."_

_Half an hour later, the carriage pulled up in front of a large stone house. Angelus got out first then yanked Katie out when she hesitated in following him. Angelus opened the door to the house, pushed her inside and followed, locking the door. "Darla! You'll never believe what I picked up from my visit to Father Caleb's." _

_A woman came into the room, elegantly dressed as though she had just come from a grand opera. "A child that the orphanage didn't want?" _

_"No. Something better. A Seer. A child of the devil if ever I saw one." _

"_She could be a great asset to us, Angelus. If she were willing." _

"_By the time I get through 'persuading' her, she'll be more than willing to help us." He leaned close to Darla and whispered something in her ear. _

_She looked at Katherine, grinned, turned to leave the room and said "I love how you think, Angelus. I'll leave you to your work now. I have to finish my meal." As the two of them laughed their faces contorted into the masques of vampires. Katherine screamed, positive now that she would never see her little sister again, that tonight she would die at the hands of the devil himself. _

_Darla left the room and Angelus moved closer to Katherine. "All the screams in the world won't be saving you. You belong to me now." He backed her into a corner and began to stroke her hair, pushing it away from her neck. "You have lovely skin." He pulled her close. "Now I have you all to myself." He kissed her soundly. She squirmed, trying to get away. Angelus threw her to the ground and grinned viciously. "The more you struggle, the longer this is going to take. Of course, I like causing pain..." He let the sentence hang and watched the fear on Katherine's face grow and change to terror. _

_"What do you want with me?" _

_Angelus laughed again. "I want to devour you of course. And I will. I don't think I've ever tasted blood from someone so pure. But that isn't the best part. After I finish drinking you, then it will be your turn. You see, I've been a vampire for ten years and I have never sired anyone. So I decided that draining and siring a seer would be a splendid way to mark my tenth year as a vampire. And when Caleb told me about you, well I just couldn't let the opportunity pass by. So now you know, I'm going to turn you into a vampire. Then you, me and Darla will be one big happy family. Now hush, it will all be better soon." He knelt down beside her, pulling her into his arms. He pushed the hair away from her neck and sank his teeth into her flesh._

_Somewhere, a slayer died. Another was called._

_The following evening, there was a fresh grave. There was no head stone or marker of any kind, not even a cross. As the sun set and the moon began to rise, two shadowy figures walked over to the grave. Angelus and Darla waited expectantly for the new childe to rise. "Anytime now." Angelus said softly. _

_Darla looked at the grave "She'll be hungry." The earth covering the grave began to move. First one hand, then the other appeared. A head came out next, Katherine's. She climbed out of the grave and brushed the dirt off of herself. _

_"Hello, Morgan." Angelus said. _

_Katherine grinned viciously. "Morgan… I like it. I'm starving!" _

_It was Darla's turn to smile. "There's a man coming. See what you can do with him Morgan." _

_Morgan walked over to the man "You look a bit lost." _

_He turned around "I'm looking for Katherine... Oh! It's you." _

"_No it isn't. Katherine is dead. I go by Morgan now." _

_The man looked at her in shock "You mean you're not..?" _

_"Now don't get me wrong, I was Katherine. But as I said before, I go by Morgan now." And with that, she drank him dry. "Mmm, that was tasty; except for the tweed." _

_Angelus came out from behind the tree where he had been watching. "I knew you'd enjoy that." He caught her chin in his hand and kissed her long and deep and licked some stray blood from the corner of her mouth. _

_Morgan looked up at him. Her eyes, once blue and full of life, were now dark and soulless. "I think I should show Father Caleb a bit of gratitude." _

_Angelus ran his fingers along her jaw, and kissed her again. "You're a hungry little thing aren't you? Be careful not to stay out too long. Be back before sunrise."_

_Morgan knocked on Father Caleb's door. "Come in." Morgan went in and began walking towards him. The priest turned around and was holding a large cross. "I had a feeling Angelus might send you here." _

_"He didn't send me. I came on my own." _

"_Oh did you now? And why would you do something like that?" _

"_Well, I didn't forget my manners when Angelus sired me. When someone gives you a gift, the polite thing to do is say 'Thank you.' And you have given me quite a gift. So thank you from the very bottom of my no-longer-beating heart." And with that, Morgan left._

* * *

_To be continued_


	2. Memories of the past part 2

_Part 2 of 4__

* * *

1764_

_Angelus was pacing the small hotel room that he, Darla and Morgan were residing in until the sunset. The two women were sitting on the couch. Angelus slammed his fist against the wall. "That man is relentless!" _

_"What are you going on about, Angelus?" Darla asked. _

_Angelus turned and walked over to the couch. "I'm talking about Holtz! He just won't give up!" _

_Morgan perked up. "Is that the man who's in charge of the people who have been chasing us?" She asked. _

_"Yes, do you know anything about him?" _

_Morgan stood up and walked to Angelus. "I not only know about him, I know him personally. He's the reason I came to you." She replied playfully. _

_Angelus smiled, took her in his arms and kissed her roughly. "Is he now? This puts an interesting spin on the situation." _

_Darla stood up. "How well do you know him?" she asked sharply. _

_Morgan grinned "Let's go to his home tomorrow night and I'll show you how well I know him." _

_Angelus laughed "I like your plan! What do you say Darla?" _

_Darla smiled "I say we let little Morgan show us the way."_

_The following evening, after Holtz and his men had left to once again try and hunt them down, Angelus, Darla and Morgan went up to his house. Morgan knocked on the door. A young girl opened it. She smiled in surprise when she saw Morgan. "Katie? Are you back?" _

_Morgan grinned "Yes, I'm back. You didn't think I'd forgotten about you did you, Sarah?" _

_The girl shook her head. "Can my friends and I come in?" _

_"Yes, come in!" They did. Sarah took Morgan's hand. "Come see momma and the baby." _

_"Alright, lead the way." Angelus and Darla followed Morgan and her sister. They entered a large family room. _

_Sarah ran over to her mother "Momma look who's here!" _

_Her mother stood up and turned around. She let out a small cry of surprise. "Katherine? Is it you?" _

_Morgan grinned. "Yes, momma. It's me." _

_Her mother wiped a tear from her eyes. "You've grown up since the last time I saw you." Her mother said, referring to the more provocative way that Morgan dressed, as well as the more elaborate hairstyle. "How have you been, dear?" _

_"I've been having the time of my life. These are my friends. Why don't you two get to know my sister? I need to talk to my mother." _

_Darla laughed "We'd love to." She and Angelus walked over to where the little girl was playing with her doll. _

_Morgan turned to her mother "You look tired, Momma. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?" Her mother sat in the chair next to the fire place. As soon she had done this, Morgan grabbed some rope that she had spotted laying next to the chair. She proceeded to bind her mother to the chair. _

_Her mother cried out in alarm "Katherine! What are you doing?" _

_Morgan leaned down near her ear "I'm getting revenge. And a meal." _

_Her mother began to struggle "What are you talking about? Katherine, what has happened to you?" _

"_You'll see...now hush... and pay attention." Angelus and Darla began to devour the little girl. "Now, don't forget to turn her. I want to leave a clear message for my father!" They looked up at her and laughed. Morgan turned back to her mother. "Now do you see? We're tired of Father constantly trying to kill us. And as of yet, we haven't been able to kill him. So we've decided to kill those nearest and dearest to him." _

_There were tears streaming down her mother's face. Morgan gently wiped them away. "Shhhh... don't cry, Momma... this won't take long. And we won't kill father, he's much to smart to let us do that. Now be a good girl and watch." _

"_What are you, Katherine? What's happened to my sweet girl?" _

_Morgan slapped her. "Don't call me that! My name isn't Katherine anymore. And as far as what I am...I'm one of them. You see, Angelus got me from Father Caleb that night that you told Father I was having visions again. He turned me into a vampire. And I'm so glad he did. He and Darla have been more a family to me than you and father ever were." _

"_Katherine...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please..." _

_Morgan slapped her again "Shut Up! Just Shut Up! I told you, my name isn't Katherine anymore. It's Morgan. And I don't care if you are sorry. Being sorry doesn't change what you've done. Now just sit still. This won't take long." She sank her teeth into her mother's neck. In a few moments she was dead. _

_Morgan licked the blood from her lips. Her baby brother was screaming. "Angelus, Darla! You can have my brother too! Be out of here before my father gets back. I'm going for a walk. I'll meet you back at the hotel." _

"_Be careful." Angelus called after her._

_

* * *

_

_August, 1780_

_Morgan came in from the hunt. It was less than half an hour until sunrise. Darla had been back long before. She had an angry look on her face as Morgan shut the door. "Do you have any idea how close it is to sunrise? Where is Angelus?" She said viciously. Since Angelus had sired Morgan, he seemed to pay less and less attention to her and more and more attention to Morgan. _

_Morgan looked at Darla impishly and shrugged "He'll be here when he gets here. You worry too much; it really is becoming a real pain..." _

_The door opened suddenly and Angelus entered. "Well that was fun." He put his arms around Morgan "Darla, you should have seen her. She has such an art in her kills." Darla glared at him and then left the room. _

_Morgan looked up at Angelus and grinned. "I wonder what got caught in her teeth." _

_Angelus laughed and then turned, pushing her against the wall, pinning her there with his body. He wound her hair in his fingers, kissing her deeply and passionately. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around him as she hungrily nipped at his throat. He growled deeply and she could feel how much he wanted her. The next thing she knew she was on her back on the floor, her arms pinned above her head by his strong hands. They moaned as he began to undress her and as the sun rose, their bodies entwined in sinful and passionate bliss._

_The following evening as Angelus, Morgan and Darla left for the hunt they were ignorant to any changes that might have occurred. Morgan went off by herself and Angelus went with Darla in an attempt to smooth out her feelings about being left to her own amusements all day. She had noticed the caresses exchanged before they went out and wasn't at all happy about all the attention Morgan was receiving. _

_Morgan began feasting on a young man who she lured into a back alley after getting him drunk. She then looked around for someone else ensnare. As she was looking for her next victim a vision suddenly hit her._

Her. Killing. The faces of all her victims. Her mother. Blood.

Blood and death.

_She staggered back, shocked by the feelings of guilt and remorse that the vision had brought with it. Why was she having these feelings? She needed to find Angelus. He would know. She began to make her way back to the house, avoiding as many people as possible._

_Hours later, Angelus and Darla came in drunk and clearly aroused by the night's feeding. Morgan sat near the fireplace with a strange expression on her face. Angelus sobered almost instantly "Morgan? What's wrong?" _

"_I was hoping you could tell me...I have this sickening feeling of guilt and remorse... what the hell is wrong with me!?" _

_Darla came over and sniffed her "Ugh... you've got a soul!" _

_"I've got a WHAT?" She paused and contemplated this fact. _

_Angelus began laughing quietly "My little Morgan has gone and gotten herself a soul. How pathetic is that?" Morgan rushed him and pinned him against the wall. "What's the matter princess? Does it hurt?" _

"_Quit mocking me and tell me how to get rid of it!" _

_Darla began to laugh now. "You can't get rid of it. You're stuck." _

_Morgan let go of Angelus and walked towards the door. There were still a few hours left before sunrise. Angelus looked up at her. "Where are you going, Kitten?" _

_"I'm gonna find out how to get rid of this bloody thing!" She walked out into the darkness slamming the door behind her._

_

* * *

_

_March 1860_

_A band of Gypsies were traveling along a dark road in silence. They were not received well at the last town they passed through. A girl suddenly appeared in the middle of the road before them. A look of dazed surprise was on her face. "Gypsies." She whispered. _

_A man came towards her. "Excuse me, are you lost?" _

_The girl nodded. "Perhaps you can help me. I'm looking for a cure, the kind that involves magic." _

_The man smiled. "You've stumbled on the right people. What's your name, child?" _

_The girl stepped forward "My name is Morgan. But I'm hardly a child." _

_The gypsies began to murmur amongst themselves, they had heard of her. The man stepped closer to Morgan. "My name is Mikal, these are my people. What cure do you seek from us?" _

"_I have soul. I don't know how I got it, and I don't care. I just want to get rid of it! Now, you can either help me, or I can go elsewhere. But I warn you, I will get rid of this soul, and when I do, I'll be out for blood. And I've heard that Gypsy blood is quite rich." _

_Mikal turned and looked at the wagons. His wife was in one of them, along with his two year old son. "If we help you, then you will leave us alone? Forever?" _

_Morgan nodded "You have my word." _

_"Laius! Move the wagons back and bring me Mara." _

_Laius did as he was told. In a few minutes, an old woman came forward. She looked from Mikal to Morgan, puzzled. "You want _me_ to help _her_? Are you sure, Mikal?" _

"_Yes, Mara, I'm sure." _

_The woman nodded "As you wish then, Mikal, as you wish. You might want to sit down, this could take a while." The three of them sat down, forming a triangle. Mara rummaged through her bag, pulling out herbs, bottles, powders and a small bowl. She mixed the ingredients together and began to chant. Colored smoke began to rise from the bowl. As Mara finished chanting, she poured the contents into a vial and hand it to Morgan. "Drink this, and hurry before it loses potency." _

_Morgan did as instructed. At first it was cool and sweet, but then it became bitter and burned. She gagged and began to lose consciousness. Her eyes glowed with a golden light and then went black. She passed out briefly and then stood up. "Now that was fun! You gypsies sure do know how to show a vampire a good time!" She laughed. "But unfortunately, I must be on my way. I wouldn't want to be stuck outside when the sun comes up. I'll be seeing you!" She called as she ran off into the night. _

_Mikal and Mara walked back to the wagons. "Did you cure her?" _

_"For a time. The potient will wear off eventually. Tell me Mikal, why where you so willing to help her? She is a vampire." _

_Mikal nodded and turned to Mara. "I did it for my wife and for my son. She threatened to find the cure elsewhere if we didn't help. She also said that if we refused to help her, when she did find a cure she would come back and take her revenge. I couldn't risk the deaths of my wife and child. I love them too much." _

_Mara nodded "You are a wise man, Mikal." _

_"How long before the potient wears off?" _

_"I don't know. Twenty years or more. Only time will tell." _

_

* * *

To be continued... _


	3. Memories of the Past part 3

_Part 3 of 4

* * *

Friday June 13, 1860_

_Angelus and Darla roamed the streets looking for fresh blood. A shadow moved and a small figure emerged from an alley way, blocking their path. "Angelus. Darla." _

_"Morgan!" said a shocked Angelus. "It's been 80 years since we saw you last." _

"_We were beginning to wonder." Added Darla. _

_"I found a way to get rid of that pesky soul that had managed to attach itself to me." Morgan grinned "So I decided to pay my old friends a visit. After all, how could a vampire forget her sire?" _

_Angelus, who had moved behind her, put his arms around her and looked at Darla. "I told you she'd come back when she was ready, didn't I Darla?" He turned Morgan around so she faced him. "Now precious, I have a small test for you. Just a little something to see if you're really back in the game."_

_Angelus led Morgan to a small convent. Angelus stopped her at the door. "The job is simple. You drink her blood and you turn her, understood?" _

_"Perfectly" replied Morgan, her eyes shone, her voice was filled with hunger. _

_They went in. Angelus went over to the girl sitting next to the fire place. "This is Drusilla. She's a seer, like you. Except, she's insane." Angelus played with her hair while he talked. Drusilla was bound and had obviously been violated. She would giggle one moment and cry the next as Angelus played with her hair. Angelus stood her up cut off the ropes and pushed her towards Morgan. "Do it." He commanded. _

_Morgan tilted the girl's head to one side and began to drink. She looked up at Angelus. "Want a drink? She's delicious!" Angelus accepted the offer and drank. _

_They both drank until Drusilla was almost dead, then Angelus stopped and looked at Morgan. "Now you do the rest." _

_Morgan grinned viciously, and made a cut on her wrist. "Here you go, pet. Drink up." She said as she forced Dru's mouth open and placed her wrist over it. _

_Angelus smiled as Morgan laid Drusilla's dead body on the ground. "Welcome back, Kitten." He said as he kissed her. _

_Darla smiled "Welcome home, Morgan. Welcome Home."_

_

* * *

_

_June 1883_

_Angelus, Morgan, Spike and Drusilla return from the hunt. Darla was waiting for them, and she was in a foul mood. As the four vampires entered the house, they could sense her displeasure. "Do you realize what time it is?" _

_Angelus shrugged "Almost sunrise. Does that matter?" _

_Darla glared at him "We should have left hours ago." _

_Drusilla twirled erotically around Spike "Why is grandmum so cross, my pet? Have we been naughty?" _

_Spike laughed "No more than usual, love." _

_Morgan walked over to Darla. "What could possibly be upsetting you? Am I taking up too much of Angelus's _Attention_?" _

_Darla struck her across the face "Whatever Angelus does with his time is his own affair. However, the Master is expecting us to arrive tonight." _

_Angelus growled in annoyance. "I'm fed up with being at the beck and call of the Master. If you want to run to him like a brainless lap dog every time he summons you, then be my guest. But don't force us to come with you." _

_Darla looked stunned and slightly hurt. "Angelus, you know it isn't wise to displease the Master." _

_Angelus sneered at her "Does this look like the face of one who cares? And in case you didn't notice, I haven't been going with you to visit your precious Master for some time now." _

_Darla glared at him "You might want to reconsider your arrogance, Angelus." She turned and left the room. _

_"Well that's settled." Angelus said smugly. The other three laughed. _

_Morgan kissed him. "The Master bores me anyway." _

_

* * *

_

_February, 1889_

_Angelus was lying on his back on the bed. Morgan was curled up next to him. The wind was howling outside, and snow was coming down heavily. Angelus was awake; Morgan's head was resting on his right shoulder. His right arm was wrapped around her. Morgan's hand was resting on Angelus's shirtless chest. Angelus pushed Morgan's hair away from her eyes. She stirred and looked up at him. "Mmm... Angelus... I was dreaming..." _

_"About what, princess? Was it an interesting dream?" _

_She looked out the window. "It was about you. You got lost. And I couldn't find you. It was sad." _

_Angelus kissed her passionately "Don't worry, Kitten. I'm not lost, and you wouldn't need to find me, I'd find you." _

_"Promise?" Morgan asked playfully. _

_"I promise."_

_The following evening, the snow was still falling heavily. Spike was in an alley taunting someone. "C'mon slayer! Is that the best you've got?" He knocked the girl to the ground. She jumped up and kicked Spike in the chest, sending him crashing into a brick wall. A figure was walking towards them unnoticed due to the falling snow. Spike sprang to his feet and attempted to punch the slayer in the gut. She blocked him, and flipped him onto his back. She pulled a stake out of her cloak and prepared to stab Spike, in the heart. The figure came up behind the slayer and threw her into the wall, knocking her unconscious. It was Morgan; she grabbed Spike by the collar and hoisted him to his feet. "Let's go, Spike." The two vampires left the unconscious slayer in the alley. _

_When they arrived back at the house, Morgan slammed the door. She then shoved Spike up against the wall. "You bloody Idiot! It's a good thing, Drusilla has a thing for you, or I would have let that slayer stake you. Better yet, I'd stake you myself!" _

_"What the hell are you talking about?" Spike gasped. _

_"You don't go picking fights with slayers, Spike. Now she'll be looking for us, and she won't want to invite you over for tea and scones. You'd just better be grateful that Angelus wasn't the one that found you fighting the slayer. He would have let her stake you." _

_"Who would I have let stake him?" Asked Angelus, who had just walked in. _

_Morgan let go of Spike and turned towards Angelus. "Spike decided to get into a fight with the local slayer. Stupid git!" She turned back to Spike and punched him hard in the face. Angelus glared, as Spike fell to the ground. He walked over to Morgan. "I should have let her stake him, Angelus." _

_"Why didn't you?" _

_"I didn't want to listen to Drusilla cry over him. You know she would have." _

_Angelus grabbed Spike by the throat. "It is true that Dru wouldn't be happy with me if I decided to end your existence. But then again, she doesn't have to know it was me, does she? And she'll forget about you soon enough, she always has been a bit crazy." _

_"Well, if you're going to dust him, do it quick, Angelus. Dru's on her way back." _

_Angelus looked at Morgan, then at Spike. He threw Spike to the floor. "It would be a waste of energy to dust you. You'll probably end up getting staked by the slayer, anyway." Angelus walked over to Morgan and stood behind her. "Playtime, princess." Morgan smiled and followed Angelus into the bedroom._

_Angelus closed the door behind Morgan. He went up behind her and sniffed her neck. "Mmm, you smell good." _

_Morgan turned and put her arms around him "Do I really, pet? What shall we play? Do you want me to hide and cower in a corner?" _

_Angelus smiled. "I'll close my eyes." _

_Morgan kissed him "No peeking." She turned him to face the wall and quickly hid behind the drapes. _

_"I'm going to find you. There's no where to hide." Angelus said as he turned to look for her, his game face was on. Morgan waited; he was always quick to find her. Angelus sniffed the air trying to pick up her scent. He found it. He smiled and licked his fangs as he walked over to where Morgan was hiding. He pulled back the drapes. "I found you." _

_Morgan cowered in mock fear "Oh no! Someone save me!" _

_Angelus laughed. "No one can save you now. Come here." He said as he pulled her close to him. "You're mine." He kissed her roughly. "Now I just have to figure out what to do with you, my little devil child." _

_Morgan smiled up at him impishly and laughed. "You're a tease, Angelus." _

_"I know. It's just so much fun." He grinned, picked Morgan up and placed her on the bed. He put his arms on either side of her as he leaned down to kiss her neck. _

_Morgan grabbed him and flipped him over onto his back next to her. "You've had you're fun, Angelus. Now it's my turn." She said as she straddled him. Angelus laughed as she began unbuttoning his shirt. "It's a long wait until sunset, my pet. And I intend to have fun with you." Morgan said as she finished with his shirt and pushed it away, exposing his chest. She ran her fingers over his smooth skin. Angelus laughed as Morgan leaned down and sank her teeth into his neck. She sat up, Vamp faced. "You taste good, Angelus." _

_He smiled and vamped out "My turn, Princess." He said as he flipped her over and straddled her. Morgan pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. Angelus slipped it off and tossed it to the floor. He bit into Morgan's neck. She giggled and then went rigid. Angelus got off of her and starred at her as her eyes began to glow with a bright golden light. "Morgan? What are you doing?" _

_Morgan sat straight up and shook her head. She looked around, bewildered. "No...No... It can't be..." _

_Angelus grabbed her by the shoulders "Can't be what, Kitten? What's going on?" _

_Morgan pushed him away "Get your hands off me! That Gypsy woman, her spell wore off... OH GOD!" Morgan left the room in a hurry. _

_Angelus followed. "Where do you think you're going? It's still daylight out there." Morgan wrapped her arms around herself. "Not for long. As soon as the sun sets, I'm going to find that Gypsy woman and she'll do the spell again. It's that simple." _

_Angelus laughed "Gypsies, I don't trust them. But do what you like Morgan. I won't stop you." He turned and walked back into the bedroom. _

_Morgan crouched by the door and waited. When sunset came, the others were still asleep. Morgan crept out the front door. "Goodbye, Angelus. I'll be back." With that, she disappeared into the night.

* * *

_

To be continued...


	4. Memories of the Past part 4

_Part 4 of 4

* * *

_

One Month Later

_It was raining, and it was cold. Morgan slumped to the ground behind a restaurant. For the past month, she had wandered through the city. She ate rats and other stray animals. During the day, she hid in barns. And now, she was tired of it. "I can't take this anymore. I have to go back to Angelus." She shivered, then ran and hid inside of another barn. The next evening, she cleaned herself up and went looking for Angelus. He wasn't hard to find. He was in an alley torturing a little Gypsy girl. Morgan came up behind him. "Angelus." _

_He turned towards her "Morgan! Have a drink!" He pushed the little girl towards Morgan and then stood behind her. "Go ahead." _

_Morgan panicked "I-I...I can't." _

_"Do it. Do it now, Morgan. Or believe me there'll be a price to pay." The girl was crying softly. Morgan was torn. She desperately wanted Angelus to take her back, but she couldn't bring herself to kill the girl. "Morgan...Drink...Now!" Without thinking, Morgan brought her elbow up and smashed it into Angelus' forehead. The back of his head made contact with the brick wall behind him and he slumped to the ground unconscious. _

_Morgan picked up the little gypsy girl and ran back to the barn. She set the girl on the ground while she saddled a horse. When she had finished, she went over to the girl and knelt down beside her. "What's your name?" She asked softly as she began to stroke the child's hair. _

_"Tamara." The child whispered. _

_"Do you know what I am, Tamara?" _

_Tamara nodded. "You are a vampire, like him." _

_Morgan smiled slightly "That's right little one. But, unlike him, I don't want to eat you. Did he hurt you?" Tamara nodded again. This time, Morgan noticed the bite marks on her arms and neck. "You are a gypsy. Do you know a woman named Mara?" _

_"Yes." _

_"Once we are out of town, can you take me to her?" _

_The girl nodded "I will show you." _

_Morgan stood up "If we are going to survive, I need you to be very quiet and do exactly what I tell you to do. Can you do that?" _

_"Yes." _

_Morgan helped Tamara onto the horse and then climbed up behind her. "I'm going to put a blanket over us and I want you to stay under it until we are out of the city." Tamara nodded. Morgan threw the blanket over both of them and then galloped out of the barn. Once they were outside of the city, Morgan removed the blanket. "You did well, little one. Now, how do I get to Mara?" _

"_That way." The little girl said pointing east. _

_"East. How fitting. Towards the sunrise." Without another word Morgan urged the horse onward._

_Mikal was standing next to a fire. Mara was muttering something. The past twenty-nine years had affected her. She was now 89 years old. "What is it Mara?" Mikal asked. He was aging as well. _

_The old woman looked up at him. "The vampire you asked me to cure will be returning soon." She said softly from her seat by the fire. _

_Mikal knelt down next to her. "Mara, are you sure?" _

_The old woman nodded. "I have seen it. She is special. She brings great pain behind her, although she does not realize it." _

_"What are you saying, Mara?" _

_The old woman closed her eyes and smiled. "Be patient Mikal, all will be made clear soon enough."_

_A few hours later, the sound of horse hooves were heard approaching the Gypsy camp. Mikal stood up, slightly alarmed. "Who could it be at this hour?" _

_Morgan dismounted and then lifted Tamara out of the saddle. Tamara spotted Mikal instantly and ran over to him. "Grandpa!" _

_Morgan smiled as she watched the older man pick up his granddaughter. He looked up and spotted Morgan. "You. You brought back my granddaughter. Why?" _

_Morgan's smile disappeared. "Where's Mara?" _

_"She's over by the fire. What do you want with her?" _

_Morgan ignored his question and walked over to the fire. "Mara?" _

_The old woman looked up at Morgan "You know that it is I. So what do you want of me?" _

_Morgan knelt down on the grass by the fire. "The spell you used to get rid of my soul. It wore off. I need you to do it again." _

_Mara shook her head. "It would do no good." "You don't understand. I can't go on like this. Hiding in the shadows. Avoiding those I used to love. Feeding off of rats and vermin. You have to help me. Please!" _

_Mara placed her hand on Morgan's head. "It is you who does not understand childe. Even if I did the spell again. It wouldn't help you. Your soul is too strong now. It would break loose again, like it has done now. Only this time it would only be a matter of minutes. I'm sorry, childe. But I can't help you." _

_Morgan looked at the ground "What should I do? I have no where to go. No family to turn to. I can never go back to Angelus. What am I? What do I exist for now?" _

_"Patience, childe. It is true that you can't return to Angelus. Yet you possess great power. You could do great thing with such power. Stay with us. We could both benefit." _

_Morgan looked confused. "How? How could you benefit?" _

_Mara smiled. "For a start, you could be a night guard, especially since you already go out at night." _

_Morgan smiled "If you will let me, I will stay."_

_Three months later, Midnight._

_Morgan was standing at the edge of the camp. Her eyes were to the west. There was a chill in the air, she didn't notice. She sniffed the wind, trying to pick up a scent, any unfamiliar scent. Something was wrong. Mikal came over to her. "What is it, Morgan? You look concerned." _

_She kept her gaze straight ahead. "I'm not sure. Something isn't right. Stay close to the fire." _

_The older man nodded. "You have keen instincts. Mara was wise to ask you to stay." He walked back to the fire. _

_Morgan looked to the road, nothing coming in either direction. She was about to turn towards the woods, when she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her, tightly. "Hello, kitten. Having fun?" _

_Morgan stiffened "Angelus. What are you doing here?" _

_Angelus laughed "I think the question you meant to ask is, what are we doing here?" _

_Morgan began to struggle against his hold on her. "What we? What's going on? Let me go!" _

_Angelus laughed again "You'll see what's going on soon enough, princess." Darla, Spike, and Drusilla stepped out of the woods. _

_"NO! You leave this place!" _

_"Now, Morgan. Is that any way to treat your family?" _

_"Get away from here!" _

_"I think we'll stay. It's been awhile since we've had a good massacre." Angelus said as he knocked Morgan to the ground. "You know I'm stronger than you. So I suggest you not fight me. Spike! The shackles!" Spike tossed Angelus a pair of iron shackles. Angelus chained Morgan to one of the wagons, which were placed in a circle around the fire. He then went over to the wagon across from her, the one that belonged to Mikal and his family. He reached inside and pulled out Tamara. "Ahh...the little one you stole from me. Looks like I got her back." _

_"Let her go, Angelus!" Morgan yelled as she pulled against the chains. _

_Tamara was crying. Darla, Spike and Dru were already feasting. Angelus laughed at Morgan. "You think that just because you can't enjoy human blood, that I shouldn't be able to either? Sorry, pet. But that's not how things work around here." He sank his teeth into Tamara's neck, and then moved on to the next person. In less than two hours, the entire Gypsy camp was dead. _

_Angelus unshackled Morgan. "You'd better run if you want to find someplace to hide before sunrise." _

_Morgan ran. As she ran off, the other three set fire to the wagons and then followed her._

_A few hours later, Morgan came to a barn next to a large house. Angelus, Darla, Spike and Drusilla were right behind her. They watched as Morgan went into the barn. The sun was rising. Angelus followed Morgan into the barn; the other three went into the house. Morgan was leaning against a mound of hay. Her head was resting on her knees, and she was crying. _

_Angelus watched her for a few minutes and then crept up next to her "I told you there would be a price... but did you listen? No, you just had to do the noble thing." _

_She turned pining him against the barn wall just inches away from the deadly rays of the sun. "Come near me again Angelus, and I swear I'll put a stake through your rotted heart." _

_Angelus laughed softly. "What's stopping you from doing that now, pet? Still feeling the tug towards being evil? Don't resist it. Ignore that soul of yours. Do what comes naturally to you." He touched her hair and she turned away. She fell to the ground as a vision blinded her._

Gypsies. Angelus. The curse of a soul. A vampire as a champion.

_Morgan looked up at Angelus as the vision ended. "Your day will come Angelus. Maybe not right away, but your day will come." _

_He looked at her a bit confused. "You know Dru can do that same trick. She has visions too, remember? Only her's are more fun." _

_Morgan grimaced at the mention of her friend. "Hadn't you better rest, Angelus?" _

_"Why would I do a thing like that?" _

_"Because once the sun goes down, the slayer won't be the only one chasing you and your whore of a sire, Darla." _

_Angelus slapped her hard across the jaw then grabbed her by the throat. "I'd be careful what I said about Darla, if I were you." _

_Morgan dug her nails into his wrist "Or what? You'll strangle me?" He winced and let her go. She rubbed her neck and jumped across sun light. Angelus watched her curl up in a bed of hay and fall asleep. When sunset came, he slipped away into the night._

_

* * *

_

_May, 1930_

_Morgan saw him entering a dark alley and followed. He was heading for an apartment-type building, but then he turned. She kept walking. He was probably hiding. She passed some crates. He stood on the other side. "Hello, Morgan." _

_She turned, stake in hand. "Angelus... I told you, if I ever saw you again, I'd put a stake through your heart. And we both know that I keep my word." _

_He looked at the stake and shrugged "Go ahead, but I don't go by Angelus anymore. And I haven't killed a human in years." _

_"I know. Gypsies. Hate to say I told you so, but I did. Looks like your day came after all. Your harmless enough now, but there is still the issue of the staking." She plunged the stake into his stomach. Angel groaned in agony. "Sorry about that, pet. But dear old mum always taught me never to let a good stake go to waste. Stay out of trouble Angelus. And watch out for school girls." _

_She turned to go, but Angel grabbed her wrist. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" _

_Morgan smiled "Just a vision I had. You'll understand in due time." Angel let go of her and she left._

* * *


	5. Family Reunions

**Author's Note**: Ten thousand apologies for the length of time it has taken me to update this. I've been a busy little beaver with school lately

* * *

2001

Morgan watched as Wesley loaded Connor into the car. She had seen what he had done to Lorne. Without warning Holtz' girl-toy sprang out of the shadows and slit Wesley's throat. Then she and Holtz made a fast get away. But not fast enough.

The Demon had opened the portal and Holtz was standing at its mouth. Angel stepped forward. "Give me my son."

Morgan jumped from the roof the car and knocked Connor out of Holtz's arms and into her own. Holtz fell to the ground unconscious. Angel stared at her in disbelief. "Morgan?"

Justine began edging towards Morgan and the baby with her already bloody knife. The

Demon was caught off guard. Morgan locked eyes with Angel. "It's the only way." she whispered to herself. "I'm sorry Angelus" she mouthed. She leapt through the portal with Connor in her arms.

--

Three weeks later. Eighteen years later in the hell dimension of Quor-toth

Connor came to her very excited. "I found it! I found a way for us to get home!"

"You did? But how?"

"There's a weakness in the walls between the dimensions. We can go home now, mom!"

She hugged him briefly and the cupped his face in her hands "Your father is going to be so happy to see you."

He smiled "I know. I can't wait to meet him. So let's go, the crack might repair itself if we don't hurry." They ran towards the opening and jumped through.

They landed in the hotel. With several astonished faces looking at them. "Hi, Dad."

Connor was beaming. Morgan straightened. "Hello Angelus."

Angel starred at them almost dumbfounded. "How did you...?"

"Connor found a crack between the dimensions."

Angel came towards her "Who do you think you are stealing my son like that? I thought you were long gone. And now all of a sudden you come back into my life and steal my son, taking him to a hell dimension?!"

"I did it to protect him!"

"From what? From me, his big bad vampire daddy who, oh by the way, has a soul now?"

"No, from Holtz. Have you even thought about what would have happened to Connor if it had been Holtz with him in the hell dimension? And believe me, that's exactly what he was planning to do."

"You couldn't possibly know that!" Angel snapped.

"Yes, I can. I could see it in his eyes. He was my father after all. He had no problems turning me over to that phony priest, Caleb; and we both know how that turned out." Those last words had stung and she could see it in his eyes. She stepped towards the door. It was dark outside.

Connor went over to her and touched her shoulder. "Mom? What's going on?"

Morgan turned to the boy she had watched grow up and pushed his hair out of his eyes, just like she had from the time he was young." "I think it's better if I let you your father have some alone time."

"But..."

"Connor, I know how strange this must seem, but you have to trust me that it's for the best. It won't be like this forever. But right now Angelus just doesn't understand why I had to take you away from here"

"Well then make him understand."

"I wish it were that simple, but it isn't. You can't force someone to understand your actions. But your father needs you and you need him. I've had you for the past eighteen years, and now it is time for me to step aside and let Angelus be your father like he was meant to be." She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "Promise me you'll be good. I'll be checking in on you."

He nodded. Angel seemed to have calmed down. "Morgan? Were will you go?"

"I have a social call to make before I make up my mind about that. Take good care of Connor." She turned and left.

Holtz was unleashing his anger on Justine, who had come out from hiding. At the moment he was enjoying kicking her repeatedly in the stomach. He didn't even notice the shadowy figure that came up behind him. "Try picking on someone who can actually defend themselves."

Startled, Holtz forgot about Justine who took the opportunity to scurry away and hide in a corner. "Who are you?" He searched her face, but it was concealed in the shadows.

"Does that really even mater? You stole Angelus' son. That wasn't nice."

Holtz began slowly moving towards her. "I may have stolen his son but he murdered mine."

"No he didn't. Darla killed your son, and she's paid with her death twice now. But you murdered your daughters."

"Those two monsters turned her into a vampire! I had no other choice."

Morgan grabbed him by the throat. "She was a child! She couldn't have done any harm! And you tossed her out into the sun killing her, after she had begged you not to!" Morgan moved so that her face could now be seen "Just like I begged you not to turn me over to Father Caleb. I begged you again and again! But you turned a deaf ear to my pleas and handed me over to that monster. Because of you, Angelus made me what I am today. Because of your selfish pride! Because you couldn't abide the thought of my visions! All that I have become, I am because of YOU!" She slammed him against the wall, snapping his neck and killing him.

Justine attacked foolishly and Morgan slashed her throat, killing her instantly. "Well that solves that problem." Morgan grabbed Justine's knife and left as silently as she had come. The only witnesses to her presence were two dead bodies and the dead didn't talk, _much_.

A Few hours later

Morgan crept into the hotel. She found Angel's room and hoped he was in there. She went in silently. He was standing looking out his window, shirtless. Morgan smiled slightly remembering days when she would spend hours caressing his skin. She went over to him. "I took care of a couple of problems that didn't seem to want to solve themselves" She said softly.

Angel turned "Why did you come back?" he said hoarsely.

"I heard what was going on. And I wanted to help."

He nodded, his eyes drifting over her small 5 foot 5 inch frame. Not much had changed. Her hair was still a glossy black, except now she wore it down so it framed her face. Her face... he paused on that feature. Her eyes deep and seductive could also look so very sweet and innocent. Her mouth smooth and red. Her skin, so very soft and delicate was almost the same except for a few scars that hadn't been there when he had last seen her, of course that had been more than 70 years ago.

Morgan felt embarrassed under his intense gaze. If she had been able to, she would have been blushing violently. "I...I...I mostly came by to see... to see if you and Connor had gotten a chance to talk."

"We did. He's smart. He cares about you. It's obvious that you took good care of him. I was overreacting earlier... I was wrong. And I'm sorry."

"No, you had every right to be angry. You thought you had lost your son."

Angel moved closer to her and began to stroke her hair. "Don't say another word." He said softly.

She looked into his eyes; the same eyes that had once held so much contempt for humanity were now filled with such compassion and love. He drew her close to him and kissed her gently yet deeply. "I missed you so much." Morgan said nearly crying.

"Shh. The missing is over." They stood holding each other.

Morgan's head was resting against Angel's chest. "Angelus..." She whispered.

Angel opened his eyes. "I've been going by Angel for a while now, remember?"

Morgan smiled "Old habits die hard, I guess."

Angel smiled "Not all of them die." Angel said as he leaned down to kiss her.

Three weeks later

Morgan, Cordelia, Fred and Lorne were sitting around a table discussing the absence of any big-bad in the L.A. area. Angel, Connor and Gunn were out catching a guy movie. Morgan got up to go get something. She never got what she planned. A vision came.

_Danger. Lots of demons. More than one slayer. Answers to questions long forgotten. Sunnydale_

The vision stopped. Morgan leaned against the counter for support. Cordy, Fred and Lorne were starring at her. Cordy was the first to speak up. "I thought I was the only one having visions around here."

"I've been having them since I was a child." Morgan said weakly.

Lorne stood up. "I'll get you some water. Better yet I'll get myself some water."

Morgan, who had been looking at the floor, looked up. "Anyone know the quickest way to Sunnydale?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Angel to get back?" Fred piped up.

"Good idea, if he gets back before I'm done packing a few things, then tell what I'm doing. If he doesn't, then tell him where I went."

"Tell who where you went?" said Angel who had just walked in the door.

"I have to go to Sunnydale. Something is happening there."

"Something big?" Angel looked confused.

"Big enough for me to get a vision"

"You had a vision? When?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"I'll leave as soon as I can."

"No. I'm the one that needs to go, not you."

"Are you going somewhere, Mom?" Connor had just come in with Gunn.

"I have to go to Sunnydale."

"Fine, I'll come with you then."

"No. I need you to stay here with your father. I can't guarantee I can protect you if you're with me."

"But..."

"Morgan's right, it would best if you stayed here."

Connor's eyes flashed to his father "Then you go with her!"

"I'll go after I take care of a couple of things here, but Morgan needs to go now. So I'll follow her soon." Angel turned to Morgan "When you get to Sunnydale find Buffy. I'm sure she can fill you in on what's going on."

"Buffy. I'll remember that name. How do I get there?"


	6. Confrontations and Blankets

**A/N: **Ok, here you go! Enjoy.

* * *

Several hours later, Morgan arrived in Sunnydale and headed for the nearest cemetery. She spotted the girl Angel had described as Buffy almost immediately. She had just finish taking down a particularly vicious vamp. Morgan went up to the girl. "Are you Buffy?"

"Do, I know you? You don't look familiar." Buffy noticed the necklace (an antique) that Morgan was wearing, and came to a fast conclusion. "That necklace looks like it's been around for a while. I've never seen anything like it in stores."

"What do you...?"

Buffy kicked sending Morgan to the ground. Morgan's face contorted. "Just what I thought, you're a vampire."

Morgan sprang up. "Look I..."

"I'm not in the mood to have small talk with vamps."

"Let me explain." Morgan said as she dodged another blow. Buffy didn't wait, she wanted to get home. Morgan caught first one fist then the other and knocked Buffy's knees out from under her, sending her to the ground.

"Where did you learn that?" Buffy gasped.

"Angelus taught me when he was still Angelus. Any way, now that I have your attention, there's something coming, something big. And I'm here to help. Angel will be here in a few days."

Buffy starred at her in shocked silence, for a moment. "Angel sent you?"

"No, not really. I had a vision, and I knew that parts of it were meant for me and the rest for Angel."

"So, why are you working with Angel? You are a vampire right?"

"Yes, I'm a vampire. But like Angel, I have a soul. However, unlike Angel, I have no idea where I got it."

Buffy took a minute to digest this information. "OK, so you're here to help with whatever big bad is coming to Sunnydale this week right?"

"Right."

"Great! Let's go save the world, again" Buffy said smugly as she led the way to her house.

When they got to Buffy's house, Morgan stopped outside the door. Buffy turned and looked at her then laughed slightly "Sorry, forgot about that detail. Come on in." Morgan entered and followed Buffy into the kitchen. "So you got this vision and it told you that a whole bunch of nasty demons were going to come to Sunnydale?"

"Right."

"Does Angel know you're here?"

"Yes he does. He would have come with me but he has a few things in LA that he has to take care of. But he should be here soon."

Buffy who had made some tea offered some to Morgan. "Its jasmine, very soothing."

"Thanks." Morgan followed Buffy into the living room where they both sat on the couch.

"So how is Angel?"

Morgan smiled tiredly "He is well. There have been some interesting changes in his life. He's a completely different being from when I last saw him."

"You aren't from around here are you?"

Morgan looked puzzled, and then shook her head. "I'm originally from Ireland. But that was a long time ago. Although I did remain in Europe for the most part until about five years ago."

Buffy nodded. "Have you known Angel long?"

"No, not that long. Not Angel anyway. Angelus on the other hand, I've know much longer. We met when I was very first sired. We spent a lot of time together, traveled..." She looked over at Buffy who had fallen asleep on the couch. She grabbed a blanket and draped it over the sleeping slayer, then picked up the mugs and took them to the kitchen.

Hours later, Willow came down the stairs and entered the kitchen. She jumped when she saw Morgan. "Who are you? What are you doing here? Does Buffy know you're here?"

Morgan smiled and held out her hand "My name is Morgan. I'm a friend of Angel's. And yes, Buffy does know I'm here."

Willow smiled and shook Morgan's hand "Oh, then hi. I'm Willow. I'm Buffy's friend. I live here with Buffy and Dawn and Tara. Tara's my girlfriend. And Dawn is Buffy's sister. But they're both still sleeping, it is Saturday after all. No school today. Which is kinda sad, because ya' know school and good, I like to put them in the same sentence."

As she finished, the back door burst open and slammed shut, just as quickly, as a smoking brown blanket stumbled inside. "Bloody Hell! That sun is hot today!" a male voice mumbled under the blanket. Willow giggled. The blanket came off. "And just what is so funny? I nearly burnt to a bloody crisp out there!" Spike asked as he threw his still smoking blanket onto the table.

Morgan, whose back was turned to him, suppressed a giggle. "That would have been a bloody shame" she said.

Spike walked over to her "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Morgan turned around "My name's Morgan. But you must realize that by now, Spike.

Nice blanket by the way." She smiled sweetly.

Spike stepped back in shock. "M-M-Morgan?" he stammered. "Wha' the...? How the...? When the..?"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Stop yammering like a blathering idiot, Spike."

He straightened, indignant. "I do Not yammer! And you know bloody well that I'm not a blathering idiot!" Willow smiled in amusement.

"Then stop acting like one." Morgan said with an impish smirk on her face. "And since when did you become friendly with the slayer?"

Spike glared at her "Since I got a sodding chip implanted in my brain!"

"Not that you ever had much of a brain to begin with."

"Why you..!"

Buffy, Dawn and Tara had entered the kitchen and now stood with Willow silently observing the battle of words occurring between Morgan and Spike.

"Oh come on, Spike! We both know that Drusilla didn't sire you because of your supreme intellect."

"You leave Dru out of this!"

"Or what? You'll bore me to death with your poetry?"

"Aaargh!" Spike roared as he punched her in the jaw. "You were always mocking my poetry! I wrote those poems before I was a vampire! And you bloody well know that!"

Morgan was laughing.

"Hey, did anybody notice that he didn't scream after he punched her?" Dawn piped up.

Spike turned towards her. "I didn't scream because it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt because she's a vampire."

"She's a what?" Dawn, Willow and Tara exclaimed in unison.

"You 'eard me. She's a _vampire_. Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"When did you learn how to spell?" Morgan quipped.

Spike glared at her. "Wait a minute...if she's a vampire, how did she get in the house?" Dawn asked.

"I invited her in."

"Buffy! You don't just go inviting strange vampires into our home. How do you know we can trust her?" Dawn whined.

"She said she's a friend of Angel's" Buffy replied.

"That's good enough for us then, right gang?" Willow asked. The other two nodded.

"Well, yeah she's a friend of Angel's. He was only her sire!" Spike laughed.

"Spike! How would you like to go spend some unprotected time with Mr. Sunshine?" Morgan growled.

The front door opened again and two more people entered. "Hello? Anyone home?" Xander called.

"Yes, Xander, go ahead and wake the entire house!" Giles retorted

"We're in the kitchen!" Buffy called. "Guys I think we can move this big group meeting out into the living room, now." She said. Everyone followed her out. "Giles, this is Morgan. She's a friend of Angel's" Buffy said.

"Oh, how do you do?" He said and held out his hand.

Morgan accepted it. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"And I'm Xander Harris. Angel's an old pal. We go way back."

Morgan laughed "I think I might have a few years on you."

"What do you mean? What did I miss?"

"I think she means she has known Angel longer than you have, Xander." Giles said impatiently.

"Morgan, why don't you tell the gang what the big news is" suggested Buffy.

The group sat down, except Morgan remained standing as she spoke. "Well, last night, I had a vision from the powers that be. And...Well... the news isn't good. Something big is going down here. Soon! Lots of nasty little demons all over the place."

Xander spoke up "By nasty little demons, you mean the kind we can kill by stepping on and squishing right?"

Morgan shook her head "I'm afraid not. I'm not sure what kind of demons they'll be; I just know that there will be many. The vision wasn't real clear on details."

Giles was cleaning his glasses. "Do you have any idea as to when this infestation will take place?"

Morgan frowned "Once again, no. All I know is that they're coming."

Buffy sighed "Well then, I guess we'd better start getting ready for the Big, the Bad and the Ugly."

"An excellent idea, Buffy. We can start research immediately" said Giles.

"Good. And can Morgan stay at your place, Giles? I'm all out of bedrooms."

"Of course she can. I would be more than happy to have her stay in the spare room."

Spike sneered "You're a great big bundle of trust you are. All you need to know is she's Angel's 'Friend' and suddenly she's one of your best pals. Never mind that she's a VAMPIRE. What is wrong with you people?"

"SPIKE! SHUT UP!" the entire group said simultaneously. They spent the rest of the day looking through books, and searching the internet. At about 11pm, Angel walked in, along with Wesley, Cordy, Connor, Fred, Gunn and Lorne.

Buffy was the first to notice. "Angel! You brought friends." Angel nodded.

Morgan looked up and immediately noticed the presence of Connor. She stood up. "Angel, you got here earlier than I expected."

"Well, the problems were fixed before I got to them." Wesley and Buffy were making introductions.

"Angel I need to speak with you outside" Morgan whispered. They went out onto the front porch.

"What is it, Morgan?"

"Why is Connor here? What was going through your head?"

Angel looked annoyed "He's my son. I think I can handle parental decisions."

"I just spent the past 18 years in a hell dimension with him. So you might want to at least give me a little bit more credit. I wanted him to stay in LA for a reason. Things are going to get bad here and I didn't want him to be in the middle of it."

The door opened and Buffy came out. "Angel, I didn't know you had a son. When did this happen?"

Angel looked a bit panicked "Better go explain yourself, Angel"

"Well...it's...its kind of a long story." He said sheepishly.

"Go on. I'm sure it will be interesting" said Morgan as she and Buffy pushed him inside.

Morgan sat by Connor as Angel recounted the events that lead to his sleeping with Darla, Darla's pregnancy, Holtz being brought from the past, Connor's birth, Wesley kidnapping Connor, Holtz kidnapping Connor from Wesley, Morgan taking Connor to Quor-toth, and finally Morgan and Connor ending up back in LA.

After Angel finished his story, Buffy stood up and walked outside. Angel followed her. "Buffy!" She ignored him and began to walk faster. He caught up with her and grabbed her shoulder. "Buffy, listen to me."

She turned on him. "I did listen to you. I listened to how, of all the vampires you could have gotten knocked up, you had to go and sleep with Darla!"

"Buffy, it's not like I went out and tried to get Darla pregnant. Vampires can't get pregnant. At least they aren't supposed to be able to."

"So what about Morgan? She's the one that practically raised your son. What's the standing relationship between you and her?"

"Until a few weeks ago, I hadn't seen Morgan in 70 years." "Connor calls you 'Dad' and her 'Mom'. What's going on between you two, Angel?"

"Nothing! I just told you that she took care of Connor in Quor-toth. Morgan is the only mother that Connor has ever known. I'm sorry you're jealous, but this wasn't something I planned."

Buffy glared at him. "I am way beyond jealous, Angel. I'm hurt! How could you sleep with Darla!? And while we're on the subject of Darla, why didn't you tell me she was back?"

"I didn't think it was any of your concern."

"Not my concern?! She's tried to kill both of us on several occasions, Angel!"

"I know! You weren't there. You have no idea what was going on at that time! So don't lecture me about who I chose to sleep with, when you're happily snuggled up next to SPIKE!"

Morgan approached and cleared her throat. "Umm... sorry to bother you two, but about the up coming apocalypse...?"


	7. Realizations

Giles and Morgan were sitting in his living room looking through various slayer related literature. Morgan had just found a list of all the slayers to ever be called. "There certainly were a lot of them, weren't there?"

Giles looked up "What? Oh, yes, yes there were?"

Morgan chuckled silently to herself. "I suppose Buffy's the one that has been around the longest isn't she?"

"Yes, I suppose she is."

Morgan stood up. "Who was the shortest?"

"The shortest? I think I just came across that one. Let me see. Ah! Here it is. A girl by the name of Katherine Holts. She was called in June of 1763. As far as I can tell she was only a slayer for a few moments, hours at the most. She was killed before her watcher could even get to her."

Morgan shuddered at the mention of her previous name. "What happened to her watcher?"

"She killed him. It would seem that she had been turned; however, it isn't clear which vampire sired her."

Morgan stood up and closed her eyes, in an effort to keep the overwhelming flood of emotions from showing in her face. She gritted her teeth, and could hardly believe what she said next. "Angelus did."

Giles looked up at her. "What? How can you be so sure it was Angelus?"

"Because I was Katherine Holts. Before..." She paused, and looked away. Giles cleaned his glasses. Morgan began to walk around the room. "That would mean... that I... I killed my own watcher." She tried to blink back tears, but they came anyway.

Giles looked confused. "But there are no records of a vampire named Katherine, after that night."

"There wouldn't be any. I never went by Katherine, after Angelus sired me. He certainly never called me that. From the very first, he called me Morgan. I asked him why he called me that once, and he said that Katherine sounded too pious and ridiculous."

"Of course, he would have. Did you say you didn't know where you got your soul?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Of course only a very few slayers have actually been turned, but the ones that were, have reportedly been able to keep their souls." Morgan nodded. "However, usually a soul is active immediately. Yours wasn't, as you've probably figured out."

"I didn't even know I had a soul until one night after Angelus and I had..." She paused, realizing what she had been about to say.

"After you and Angelus had what?" Asked Xander, who had just walked in.

Morgan grimaced. "Experienced an entire day of bliss"

Xander backed up. "Whoa! Did not need to know that!"

Morgan shrugged. "It's almost ironic." Giles said. "A moment of complete happiness activated your soul. And yet another moment of complete happiness took his away."

Morgan didn't find that observation funny. "Of course I got rid of my soul for about 30 years, with the help of a Gypsy potient, but I guess it wore off and I've had a soul since then. She turned towards the door. "I have to go. I'll see you guys later." And she walked out into the night.

Morgan made her way to the cemetery, and sat down next to one of the crypts putting her head in her hands. Something moved inside the crypt, but she didn't notice. A tall, thin figure made his way towards her. His blond hair was gleaming in the moonlight. "You should get the hell out of here; it isn't safe for a girl like you to be here."

Morgan stood and faced him, disguising her voice. "I can hold my own."

"Oh really? Well that's interesting. I've almost forgotten how many girls have I killed that have said they could bloody well 'hold their own'."

Morgan was annoyed. She grabbed him by the throat forcing him against the wall of the crypt. "I would mind my manners if I were you, Spike!" she growled in her true voice, letting him see her face.

Spike blinked, a bit dumb founded. "Morgan? Well... bloody hell!"

Morgan turned away "Not tonight, Spike. I have enough on my mind right now."

"Oh, right. You've got a soul, just like Angel. Must be hell."

"You have no idea." Morgan turned to go.

Spike laughed. "You slayer types are all the same, thinking the whole bloody world is on your shoulders and you're the only ones who have the power to save it."

Morgan turned and glared at him. "What did you say? How did you know?"

"You've got slayer written all over you, pet. The way you move. The fact that you have a soul and haven't been cursed by gypsies. Face it, love, you reek of slayer." He turned and went back into his crypt.

Morgan remained outside and sat down again. What was taking Angel so long? She leaned back against the crypt and closed her eyes allowing a flood of memories to flood over her. Unbidden, the face of her first kill came to her mind. A face long forgotten, and eternally nameless. For ages Morgan had thought of him as merely another cross she was forced to bear. Now, she knew the truth, he had been her watcher, a man sent to train her and help in the fight against evil, and she had killed him.

Guilt washed over her. A hand touched her shoulder startling her out of her remorse. It was Angel. At least it seemed to be Angel; his posture seemed a little different, more arrogant. "It's time to go" he said.

Morgan got up and followed him. "Where are we going?"

"Buffy doesn't need us anymore."

"What if that changes?"

"She knows how to reach us." Morgan turned to say something, but she never spoke. Something blunt hit her in the back of the head, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

Hours later

Morgan began to wake up. She couldn't see Angel. In fact, she couldn't see anything. "I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up" a voice said somewhere near her. Morgan couldn't tell who it was or where it was coming from. Her eyes were open, but there was something covering them. Was it her hair? She tried to brush it away, but couldn't. Her hands were chained to the wall. The wall was old, yet very sturdy. There was no way she could pull herself free.

"Bloody hell" she muttered.

"What was that?" The voice said almost taunting her.

Morgan was having trouble concentrating. Who was talking to her? Was it Angel? She felt like she was grasping at the wind. "Angel? What's going on?" She was growing desperate.

The voice laughed. "You'll find out what's going on soon enough." Morgan felt hands touch her face; they began to take off whatever was blinding her. "And for the record... My name isn't Angel. And in case you are wondering, we're not in Sunnydale anymore."

The blindfold came off and a face came into focus; it wasn't anyone Morgan knew, but she was sure that he was up to no good. He ran his hand through his shaggy hair. He ran his other hand along her jaw line. "You have nice skin" He said.

Morgan couldn't be sure if he was mocking or being serious. "Angelus used to tell me that very thing."

"I'll bet he did. He always has known how to get a girl to sleep with him." Morgan lunged at him, but the chains yanked her back and she passed out as her head slammed against the wall. The man laughed. "You'll be free from your chains soon enough. But when that happens, you might not want to hurt me as much as you do now." He walked away and left Morgan to the torments of her mind.

--

_March 1875_

_Darla was away, visiting the Master, She had taken Drusilla with her. Angelus came in from the hunt. He hated the sun. He knew it countless victims escaping his grasp. He was in the mood for fun. "Morgan." he called. "Are ye back yet?" He stumbled around looking for Morgan; who, he was positive, was hiding from him. After all, there was only an hour left before sunrise, and she was usually back before he was. _

_This time however, he was wrong. Morgan came stumbling through the door. "Well that was fun" she said, drunk on the rich blood of a young nobleman whom she had managed to get drunk and then lure into an alley that, she was sure, his dear-old-soul of a mother would never permit him to enter even though he was well into his twenties. She danced erotically around Angelus. She shook out the pins that had restrained her long luxurious chocolate brown hair. _

_Angelus smiled as he watched her. She was just as much Irish as he was, if not a little more. "Did ye have a good time, pet?" He said, taking her hand and joining her dance. _

_Morgan looked up at him impishly. "Of course not, 'twould be a sin t'have fun on the night before the Lord's day, wouldn't it?" _

_"Aye that it would. But then again, ye are my little devil child aren't ye?"_

_"Aye that I am. And what fun I do have." Her delicate fingers toyed with the buttons on his shirt until they had all come undone and his chest was exposed. They were still dancing, but they had slowed their pace. She ran her finger along his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair. They picked up the pace of the dance and with a final turn, Morgan spun away and plopped down on the sofa in a heap of laughter. Angelus joined her. After they finished laughing they sat together in silence, anxiously awaiting the return of darkness. _

_After a long period of silence, Morgan got up and went to stand behind Angelus. She began running her fingers through his hair. He looked up at her "What is it, Princess?" _

_She playfully kissed his forehead. "I'm bored... daytime's no fun." _

_She nipped his neck and he smiled. "So you want some fun to while away the cursed sunlit hours? Is that it?" _

_"Aye, that's it. Play with me, love" she said seductively. Angelus stood, removed his shirt and walked over to her. He put his arms around her and began to kiss her passionately while unbuttoning the back of her dress. The dress slipped from her shoulders and fell to the floor. _

_Angelus picked her up carried her to the bedroom and tossed her on the bed. He closed the door and leaned over her, nuzzling her neck. "You're all mine" he whispered "All mi..." The door in the other room slammed shut. _

_Darla was back. "Angelus! Where are you?" _

_Angelus growled in annoyance. "Better get dressed kitten. Darla will most likely have a tongue lashing ready for both of us." He exited and shortly after, Morgan followed. _

_"This is going to be a long wait until sunset." She muttered._

_--_

Morgan slowly regained consciousness. She tried to stand but was reminded of the chains than bound both her hands and her feet. She growled in frustration. "Bloody hell. There has got to be a way out of this."

"Nope, actually I'm afraid you're stuck until I decide to let you out of those chains." The man had been watching her from across the room.

Morgan glared at him, "Who the bloody hell are you?" she growled.

"My name really doesn't matter at the moment. But I'll tell you any way. My name's Lindsey and your name is Morgan."

"How the hell do you know that?" Morgan was beginning to really want to kill this creep.

"I know everything about you. And the way I see it, you're my best chance of getting to Angel."

Morgan laughed. "If you think I'm going to help you get to Angel, then you've bloody well got another thing coming!"

Lindsey grinned, put his hand on her head and muttered some words in a strange tongue that Morgan had never heard before. "What the...?" her words stopped as the sensation of something leaving her being began to fill her with panic. Light poured out all around her and once again she collapsed.

Lindsey muttered a few more words in the same tongue and backed away. "Perfect." he said satisfied that the incantations had worked. "Better get ready Angel, you're about to experience a great awakening."

A few hours later, Morgan was fully awake, except something was different, she was different. Lindsey walked into the room. "So, how do you feel?"

She sneered at him "You've got me imprisoned in this bloody fortress of yours, how the hell do you think I feel? Besides, you said you wanted my help to get to Angel. A lot of good I'm doing here."

Lindsey smiled, his plan was working. "I knew you would come around eventually." He said. "But in order for this to work, you need to play by the rules. And if you're a good girl, then I'll let you out of those nasty chains. If you aren't, then I might as well stake you where you sit. Now, do you do want to know what I want you to do?" Morgan nodded. "Good, I thought you would. Now here is the way it goes..."


	8. Going Backwards

**Author's Note**: And now things really get interesting. Have fun!

* * *

A few days later, Angel returned after catching up with Buffy. Morgan was waiting for him in his office when he arrived; the others were still in Sunnydale for a few more days. He stepped back in surprise. "You certainly left in a hurry" he said sounding a bit hurt."

"I'm sorry, Angel. There were just some things that needed sorting out and I figured you didn't need my help considering the vision was wrong."

"Oh, I guess you got the answers to those questions you had forgotten about then?"

"Yeah, some of them I would have preferred left unanswered." She turned to face the window.

Angel walked over to her and put his arms around her. "Whatever it is, it doesn't matter anymore, its all in the past and there's nothing you can do to change it" he whispered soothingly in her ear.

She turned and buried her face in his shirt. "God, I love you Angel." she said softly, almost inaudibly.

His left hand began to stroke her hair, while his right hand rubbed her back. "Shh...It's alright now. You know I love you too."

She looked up at him and smiled "No you don't. You think you do, but you don't. You love Buffy. I can tell. You'll always love her." Angel looked slightly confused. "And I can prove it to you" she said.

"How?"

"Make love to me. Don't worry about a curse. You won't be truly happy because I'm not Buffy."

Angel nodded "Are you sure?"

"Trust me Angel; I was dealing with gypsies before _you_ were cursed." She kissed him softly and gazed up into his eyes. "Look into my eyes, do you trust me?"

Angel nodded "Absolutely"

"Good" she whispered. Angel kissed her hungrily, and then carried her to his room. He didn't care at the moment about a curse. He closed the door and set her on the bed. He lay down beside her after removing his shirt. She began stroking his chest. They spent the next few hours unleashing the passion and love that they had hidden and buried for so many years.

Later, Morgan murmured a few foreign words as she watched Angel sleep in her arms. In a few moments time, Angel was jolted awake by the exiting of his soul and any resemblance to Angel, including the American accent and short hair. Morgan grinned at him, feeling quite pleased with herself. "How do you feel Angelus?"

"Fantastic! It's like I'm me old self again."

"That's the beauty of the thing, pet. You are your old self. You're Angelus in his truest form. You still have some of Angel's memories. But you are not Angel. Now get dressed, there's someone I want you to meet."

Angelus moved so that he was on top of her "Does it have to be now? There are still a few hours left of sunlight" he asked, kissing her throat.

"Mmm. I suppose he could wait until after sunset" she replied as she ran her fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.

After sunset, Angelus and Morgan went to a large stone mansion, on the outskirts of L.A. Morgan rang the doorbell. Lindsey answered. "Morgan. You're back. Come inside." He opened the door wider to let them in. "You must be Angelus. My name is Lindsey. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Morgan has told me so much about you."

"Why do I get the feeling we've met before?" Angelus said smiling "and that we weren't friends?"

"We met back when you were still going by Angel. And you did try to kill me on several occasions. Well, Angel did anyway."

"Well then, If Angel doesn't like you, then I think we'll get along just fine. Don't you, Morgan?" he asked as he put his arm around her.

Morgan smiled up at him. "Of course we will, pet. Now Lindsey. It's time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

Lindsey stepped back looking confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh don't play innocent with me. I got Angel out of your way, and that was no easy feat. Now I want to collect on that favor. You said I could have anything. And Angelus and I don't want much. Just complete control of the town of Sunnydale, Spike and Drusilla back to the way they were, and Wolfram & Hart to leave us _**alone**_. And as far as Spike and Drusilla are concerned, the only place we really need your help is with Spike, Dru we can bring back easily enough except we don't know where she is. Now are you going to keep your promise or do you need Angelus and I to _convince_ you?"

Lindsey looked a bit stunned. "No... No, you'll get everything you want. Spike and Drusilla are on their way here, Sunnydale is yours, Wolfram and Hart are out of the picture. And you won't see me again after I return Spike and Drusilla back to their former selves. Now how does that sound? Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand.

Angelus looked over at Morgan "Do we accept, Kitten?"

"I see no reason not to."

"Well then, Lindsey, we accept your offer."

The following evening, a Wolfram & Hart jet landed at the Sunnydale airport. It was after sunset, and Lindsey led the group of vampires off the jet. "Everything is in place. As soon as that jet takes off, Wolfram & Hart will activate the barrier around the town. No one will be able to come in or out of Sunnydale. If you ever need our help, you all know how to reach me. Enjoy your town."

The four vampires watched Lindsey reboard the jet. As the jet departed and then passed out of sight, Morgan laughed. "Friends, welcome to Sunnydale! Let the party begin."

Drusilla clapped her hands. "A party! Will death be there, my pet?"

Spike smiled and kissed her. "Of course, love. Wouldn't be a party without death."

Angelus wrapped his arms around Morgan and kissed the back of her neck. "Where should we start, kitten?"

Morgan turned to face him, her eyes were sparkling with maliciousness. "The Slayer."

Buffy was walking home from the Bronze. She sighed. She had wanted to stay home and mope, but Willow wouldn't hear of it. So Buffy had gone to the Bronze. She had made an appearance. Hell, she had even danced. But after a couple of hours, she'd had enough partying and had quietly left. She had just turned the corner when she saw something move in the shadows. "Hello? I know you're there."

A girl emerged from behind a stack of boxes. "Hello, Buffy."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. "Hello, Morgan. What's brought you back from L.A.?"

Morgan looked around as if searching for something. "We need to talk. Something's happened to Angel."

Buffy's relief quickly changed to panic. She didn't notice the second figure that now stood right behind her. "What happened? Was it something bad?"

"Actually, I feel fantastic!" Angelus said as he sank his teeth into Buffy's neck. Buffy didn't even have time to react. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for Morgan to join his feast. Within a few moments, Buffy was lying on the ground, dead.

Xander and Willow were leaving the Bronze. "Will, why do you think Buffy left so early?"

"Well, she has been pretty upset since Angel and Spike both left at the same time."

Morgan stepped out of the shadows. "Xander, Willow, I'm glad I found you. I need you to come with me before it's too late."

"Too late?" Willow asked.

"What's going on? Where's Buffy?" Xander asked, looking panicked.

"I'm taking you to meet her, but we have to hurry." Xander and Willow followed Morgan as she led them down a dark alley. She stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Willow questioned, fear was evident in her eyes.

"I smell something. I'm not sure what it is."

"It's change." Angelus said as he stepped out of the shadows behind Willow and Xander.

"Morgan and I have cooked up a little surprise for you." Xander made an attempt to punch Angelus, but it was too late. Willow also attempted to fight Morgan, but lost in the end.

Spike and Drusilla made their way to Buffy's house. Dawn and Tara were returning from the Magic Box. The two vampires rushed them, before they could make it to the front door. Dru quickly snapped Tara's neck, while Spike did the same to Dawn. The two vampires then went inside and completely trashed the Summer's former residence. "Little girls should not be out after dark or else death will find them" giggled Drusilla.

Spike laughed. "C'mon, pet. We should go find Angelus and Morgan."

The following evening, the four vampires stood around two fresh graves. Alexander Harris and Willow Rosenberg. As they watched, the earth covering the graves began to move. The hands appeared first, then two heads. Xander was out of his grave first, but Willow was not far behind. Spike grinned "Well this is certainly something I never expected to see."

Drusilla giggled "The slayer's friends have decided to wake up. What will she do when she finds out that we've been naughty?"

"The slayer isn't going to find out. She's dead. Angelus and I saw to that."

"What about the whole deal where one slayer dies, another one is called?" Asked vampire Xander.

"Faith" said vampire Willow.

"What about her?"

"Willow's right, Xander. Faith is still alive... unfortunately."

"Then I say you let Dru and I kill her." Spike said.

"You stupid git." spat Angelus "As long as she's alive and in prison, she can't touch us. The moment she dies, a brand new slayer gets called. Besides, you can't get out of Sunnydale. Part of our agreement with Wolfram & Hart."

"Bored now." yawned Willow.

"I'm with you babe, let's go find someone to maime."

"I think that's an excellent idea. We'll find the two of you later." said Morgan.

"I think Dru and I will go with those two." Spike said as he turned to follow Willow and Xander.

"No, the two of you need to go to the mansion and get it ready for a visitor."

"Are we having a party?" Giggled Drusilla.

"Soon. Morgan and I have a British Librarian to tend to." Angelus kissed Morgan passionately as Spike and Drusilla made their way towards Angelus' mansion at the edge of town.

Giles was passed out on his couch. His hand was clutching a bottle of Scotch. On the floor was a program for a funeral for five people. Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers, Tara MacClay, Willow Rosenberg, and Alexander Harris. Around two in the morning a loud knock came at his door. Giles started awake and fell off the couch.

The person began knocking again, louder this time. "Ahem...um... Yes... Just a moment." He called as he stumbled towards the door. He opened the door and was shocked to see Morgan. "M-Morgan... what are you doing here? Uh... never mind... I suppose you're here because you heard about what happened to Buffy and the others."

Morgan nodded. "Angel would have come personally, but..."

"He isn't getting out much anymore." Said Angelus as he stepped out of the shadows behind Morgan.

"Oh my God... You're..."

"Angelus."

"You did all this, didn't you?" Giles shouted angrily.

"What? Oh, you mean killing the slayer and her friends? I did do that. But Morgan helped too, didn't you precious?"

Morgan grinned as she grabbed Giles by the back of the neck and slammed his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious. "Grab his feet, I've got his head." The two vampires began to make their way towards the mansion, carrying the limp librarian between them.


	9. Breaking Free

A few hours later, Giles began to regain consciousness. He started to look around and noticed that he was chained to a wall in a cage-like cell. He then noticed the four vampires who were watching him. "Look who decided to wake up." Sneered Angelus.

"Did the librarian have a nice nap?" Laughed Spike.

"What do you want?" Giles asked.

Drusilla giggled. "I wanted a pony, but mummy said no."

Morgan smiled. "We have everything we want. Angelus and I are free of our pesky souls, for good this time. We have complete control of Sunnydale. One slayer is dead; the other one is in jail, far away. What more could we ask for?"

"How about eternal darkness?" Quipped Angelus, as he wrapped his arms around Morgan. She turned to face him and stroked his chest. They kissed passionately.

Giles looked revolted. "Buffy trusted you! We let you into our homes! And you murdered her!"

"Well, there's your mistake, Rupert, you and Buffy trust everyone who claims to be friends with Angel. Now do you see how silly that is?"

"I see...I see that you are a piece of..."

Morgan, who had opened the door to Giles's cell, slapped him hard across the face. "Show some respect to your elders, Rupert. Angelus may look young, but remember he was around 200 years before you were born."

Giles spat out the blood from the split lip that Morgan gave him. "You... You're worse than he is."

Morgan grinned viciously. "I'll take that as a compliment. He was my sire after all."

Giles tried to stand, but his legs were weak, so he collapsed onto the floor. "You deceived us all."

Angelus laughed. "We're vampires, Rupert. Of course we deceived you!"

Morgan straddled Giles and began to run her fingers through his hair. "There, there, don't strain yourself. Actually, go ahead. It might be fun to watch." Giles attempted to punch her, but Morgan grabbed his wrists and pinned them against the wall. Her face was inches away from his. "Now what did I say about respecting your elders Ripper? I remember once, a young boy took a tone with my father; he was dragged home to his mother and given a sound beating. I did learn a few things from my father. Now, promise me you'll be polite or I'll have to show you some of the things my father did." Morgan grinned viciously as she stood up and exited the cell, looking the cage door behind her.

"You won't get away with this." Giles said weakly. "

Who's going to stop us?" Angelus asked. "Faith is locked up in a cell that is tighter than yours. And even if she wasn't, no one can get into or out of Sunnydale. So your threats really aren't that threatening. Get comfortable Rupert. You're going to be here a while." When Angelus finished talking, he kissed Morgan roughly, and the two of the left Giles alone in the darkness of his cell.

One week later

Morgan and Angelus had just finished feasting on two teenagers they had caught outside after dark. Angelus licked his lips and leaned down to kiss Morgan. She giggled impishly and wrapped her arms around him. "Mmmmm… lets go back to the mansion before the others get back."

Angelus looked at her curiously. "Why? We still have several hours of night left."

Morgan grinned. "I want you all to myself for a few hours. Please?" She smiled up at him innocently.

Angelus laughed. "I know that look far too well. But you know I'd do anything for you, my pet." He put his arm around her and the walked back to mansion. When they got there, Angelus closed the door behind them. "Now what did you want to show me, princess? Did you discover a new way to torture our guest?"

Morgan laughed. "No, we can play with him anytime." She toyed with the buttons of his shirt. "I had something _else_ in mind. Something more… entertaining." She said seductively.

Angelus smiled and kissed her. "Mmm… you smell wonderful." He whispered.

"Like passion?"

"No… better… Like death." Angelus said as he removed his shirt. "I think I know what you're after, kitten."

She smiled as she let her dress fall to the floor. "Do you pet?" Angelus nodded and led her into their bedchamber, locking the door behind them

Morgan was perched on top of city hall. A furious wind whipped up her hair and an icy rain stung her face. She could see all of Sunnydale from that spot. "What have I done?" She whispered. Tears where streaming down her face. "The demons I came to warn Buffy about... the prophecy was about us. I have to get out of Sunnydale, back to Connor. What about Giles? I can't just leave him in the mansion with Angelus. I could take him with me when I leave for L.A. Question is, how do I get him out of the mansion? It'll have to be during the day. One thing is certain, Angelus and the others can't know that my soul is free...again." Morgan jumped to the ground. She landed on her feet, face to face with Angelus.

"Hello, Morgan."

"Angelus, I've been looking for you."

Angelus grinned. "Really, Kitten? Why is that?"

"The others were worried. I told them I would come find you."

Angelus laughed, then put his hand behind Morgan's head and pulled her close to him. "Did you have a nice feast, then?"

"Mmm... the best. I ran into a school teacher, she wasn't very polite."

"Did you make her learn her lessons?"

Morgan giggled. "You know me well, Angelus."

He kissed her soundly. "That I do, my pet."

"Come on; let's get back to the mansion. It'll be sunrise soon."

Morgan walked back to mansion with Angelus. The others were asleep when they arrived.

"I guess they weren't too worried about me." Angelus said.

Morgan grinned. "Actually, I lied. They weren't worried, I was just bored." Angelus looked amused. "Forgive me?" Morgan whispered seductively.

"My little devil child. There's nothing to forgive." Angelus said as he kissed her. He yawned. "I'm tired, let's go to bed." Morgan grinned and followed him. They climbed into bed. Morgan curled up next to Angelus and he wrapped his arms around her. Soon he was sound asleep. When Morgan was certain he was asleep, she got out of bed and slipped a large pillow under Angelus' arm. She quietly left the room, and made her way to great room, where Giles was locked in his cell.

"Rise and shine Ripper." She said as she unlocked the door. Giles glared at her as she helped him up. "Time to go." She whispered. He followed her to the door above the sewers. Morgan unlocked it. "You first." She said.

Giles looked confused. "Where are we going?"

"Just go!" Morgan hissed. He obeyed and Morgan followed, closing the door and locking it from the outside. "That should delay the others." She whispered. "Follow me."

"How exactly do you expect to get out of town?" Giles asked testily.

"There's a door at the other end this sewer line. Wolfram & Hart put it there just in case. Angelus and I are the only ones who know the pass word."

"I see." Giles whispered as he followed her. They reached the end of the sewer line.

Morgan located the door. "Acathla." She said forcefully. Nothing appeared to have happened.

"Are you sure you have the right pass word."

"Go!" Morgan said, as she shoved him forward. "Turn around." She said when they had gone about 10 feet. Giles looked back and saw a faint blue force field where they had just been. "You can't see the barrier on that side." Morgan explained.

Giles turned on her and punched her square in the jaw. Morgan fell to the ground, and Giles kicked her hard in the stomach. He tried to kick her face, but Morgan caught his foot and set him off balance. She quickly stood up and backed away from him. "Feel better?" She asked as he punched again.

"Yes, much."

Morgan caught his hand as he attempted to punch her again. She pinned him against the wall. "Good. Now calm down. I know you're pretty hacked off about what Angelus and I did. But I just saved your life."

Giles still looked livid. "For which I am grateful. But you and Angelus destroyed my reason for existing! You murdered Buffy, Dawn, and Tara. You turned Xander and Willow into vampires. And you held me captive, so you could torture me day and night. So why are you helping me now?"

Morgan sighed. "Because as of yet, no one has found an affective way to permanently rid me of this soul."

"I see." Giles whispered sadly.

Morgan stopped suddenly. "Here we are." She said as she pushed open the cover of the sewer line.

"What are you doing?"

"A vampire friendly car is parked here, and we have just enough darkness for me to make it without bursting into flames."

"And why should that matter?"

"Because I can take you to safety, and I think I have a way to fix this, so let's go." She leapt through the hole and ran to the car. Giles followed close behind her. Moments later they were on their way to L.A.

A few hours later, Morgan burst through the doors of the Hyperion Hotel. Wesley and Connor looked up at them, shocked. Connor leapt up. "Mom!" He ran over and hugged her.

Morgan held him close. "I missed you." She whispered. She turned to a very shocked Wesley. "I need your help."

Morgan was walking to the place where Wesley had told her that she would be able to get in touch with the powers that be. She spotted him coming out of a ritzy apartment building. She followed him into a back alley. "Hello, Lindsey."

Lindsey turned towards her with a start. "Morgan! When did you get back into town?"

"Does that really matter? The important thing is why I'm back."

"So why are you back? Sunnydale get to small for you?"

Morgan laughed and shook her head. "You really should have done you're home work on me more thoroughly."

"Oh really? So what did I miss? You're a vampire. You were sired by Angelus. You and Angelus have always had the hots for each other. Both of you were cursed with a soul. I found a spell to get rid of your soul which led to you getting rid of Angel's soul for me. So please fill in any details that I skipped over."

Morgan grinned. "I was never cursed with a soul. I was called as a slayer before Angelus sired me. However, since Angelus sired me so soon after I was called, my soul took a few years to kick in. I went off to find a cure for the soul. I stumbled on to a band of gypsies. They put a sort of binding spell on my soul. After about thirty years, my soul broke through the spell."

Lindsey looked shocked. Morgan continued. "The spell you used on me, it was the same one the gypsies used. Except this time, it only took my soul about a week to break free again. So you see, Lindsey, You...are screwed." She grabbed the back of Lindsey's neck and slammed his face into the brick wall of the apartment building. "Sweet dreams." She said as walked off, leaving Lindsey dead on the sidewalk.


	10. Torment and Redemption

Morgan stood at the gateway. It was exactly where Wesley had said it would be. Even though Connor had been protesting severely, she hadn't allowed him to come with her. "Now or never." She whispered. She set fire to the incense. "I beseech Thee; let thy lowliest of servants enter into your presence." The gateway began to glow with a bright, white light. Morgan could sense something pulling her into the light. Almost instantly, she was on the other side. The room was made with ancient stones, and lit by the soft golden glow of candles.

"You!" A voice echoed through the chamber. "Why do _you_ come before us?"

Morgan searched for the source of the voice, but to no avail. "I come in hopes of redemption. I need you to turn back time."

"Why should we help you? What price are you willing to pay?"

"I have to save my friends. I'll do whatever it takes."

"What are you willing to endure?"

"Anything."

"Where are you willing to go?"

"Anywhere."

"Even here?" Morgan was struck with a vision that knocked her to the ground.

Pain. Agony. Torture. Darkness.

The vision passed. Morgan staggered to her feet. "Even there." She gasped.

"This began the day you stopped Holtz from taking Connor. So we will erase from that time forward. The present time will not be tampered with, but instead will be as though you have not been there. As of now, Holtz did take Connor to Quar-toth. They found a way back; however, Connor is not the boy you remember. He has been filled with hate. Wesley just now rescued Angel from being trapped on the ocean floor. But everyone is alive. Your quest is completed. But you must still pay the price. You, Angelus, and the others committed many sins. Now you have the chance to earn redemption. But every action has its consequences."

Morgan bowed her head. "I understand."

"Your punishment will not last forever. We will remember you when the time is right. Now go. Your destiny awaits you."

A creature came forward and roughly grasped Morgan's arm, causing her to wince in pain. "Come with me." It growled. Morgan nodded and followed him into hell.

A hell dimension

A girl cowered but couldn't avoid the stinging lash of whips against he bruised and bloodied back. "That's enough for now." A harsh voice barked from the darkness. "She's taken her beatings for 350 years now without even trying to escape. Besides, we're getting someone new tonight. A particularly evil bastard if you know what I mean." Several demon guards laughed. "Throw her back in her cell. I might let her out to play with the new inmate tonight." Two demons roughly shoved the girl into a cage-like cell. Her limp body thudded sickeningly as it landed on the ground.

A few hours later, the girl was fully awake and on guard. A man was being led through the gateway. He was fighting uselessly against his chains. "Welcome to Hell, Caleb. We've got a little surprise for you. Bring her out!" Caleb was forced into a large cage.

Another door opened and the girl was shoved into the same cage. She stared at Caleb and he stared back, bewildered. "Morgan?" The girl growled and vamped out. She sprang at Caleb and began to feed off him. She sank her teeth into his throat and tore at his chest with her fingernails. When Caleb stopped screaming and passed out, two demons entered the cage and pulled Morgan off of him.

"That's enough fun for one night." They said as they shoved her into her cell. Morgan crouched at the door of her cage and glared viciously at Caleb.

The head demon was watching her close by. "What's the matter? You don't like your new playmate?" Morgan looked up at him and he searched her eyes. "Oh, I see. He's part of the reason you're here. Now I call that interesting."

Eventually, Morgan tired of glaring at Caleb's limp form and began to pace her cell. After about an hour, she reluctantly curled up in a corner, pressing her back to the wall. Even though she fought it, sleep soon came. No one noticed the stream of silvery light that poured out of a small crack in the stone wall. It snaked around Morgan's head and entered her ear.

_Girls. Darkness. Evil. An enormous cavern. Fighting. Death. An amulet. A champion. Victory for the slayers._

Morgan woke with a start when someone kicked her, viciously. "Wake up you filthy dog!" An angry voice growled. Morgan looked up to see a demon standing over her. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her to her feet. "The powers didn't send you here so you could sleep. Let's go." Still holding her by her hair, the demon dragged Morgan out of her cell and into a dark, smoke filled chamber.

In the middle of the room was a chair. Made entirely of iron, the chair was equipped clamps on both the arm rests and the legs. The demon shoved Morgan into the chair. He then fastened the clamps and place and heavy iron collar around her neck. On the back of the chair was a chain. The guard pulled the chain through loop on the back of Morgan's collar. He then fastened the other end of the chain to the chair. Satisfied that Morgan was secured, the demon left. "Now don't go anywhere." He called mockingly over his shoulder as he closed the door.

"Hello, my young friend." A voice hissed from a corner. Morgan's eyes widened in terror. All she could make out was shadow of a creature holding a burning, hot poker. "I'll be honest with you." The creature said. "This will be...painful." It jabbed the poker into Morgan's side, picked up a hot knife, and slashed her across her face. Morgan screamed. And the demon laughed.

A mystical window was opened into the room where Angel was speaking To Wesley, Gunn, Spike, and Ilyria. "We'll be ready, but today, I want you guys to go out. Live. Do whatever you want." The window closed.

The powers began murmuring amongst themselves. "He's going to fail."

"Not if we help him."

"We cannot interfere."

"We have to do something."

"The senior partners break the rules, not us."

"The rules don't apply to me."

"What are you saying, Archa?"

"I'm a warrior. I can defeat Wolfram & Hart."

"How? You have no form."

"Give me the girl. She's suffered long enough."

"Yes. The vampire, Morgan. 700 years in that dimension. Take her, do as like with her." Instantly, Morgan was brought forth into a room of blue mist. She was even more ragged bloodied and bruised than before. A beam of light suddenly surrounded her as Archa took possession of her body. When the possession was complete, Archa stood straight. She was now dressed in a flowing white gown, and she was clean. "GO! And return to us quickly." A voice echoed through the chamber. Archa smiled, bowed and left.

Archa found Wesley and Ilyria. Wesley was lying on the floor, after being stabbed by Vail. Ilyria had just killed the demon and was now attending to Wesley. Archa walked over to them and knelt on the ground next to Wesley. She placed her hand over the knife wound and began murmuring an incantation in an ancient tongue. A golden light shot from her hand into Wesley. Almost instantly, the wound was healed. Archa stood as both Ilyria and Wesley looked at her in amazement. "Come with me. Your friends need you." She said as she walked out the door. Wesley and Ilyria quickly stood and ran after her.

They soon found Angel, Gunn, and Spike in the alley where they had agreed to meet. An army of demons was advancing towards them. Archa moved in front of the group. "Stand back!" She commanded as she raised her hands to heavens.

They watched in stunned silence as of lightning shot out of Archa's hands and eyes. Each demon instantly exploded the moment the lightning touched them. When they had been completely destroyed, Archa turned to face Angel, Spike, Wesley, Ilyria and Gunn.

Ilyria was cowering. Archa walked towards her and stretched out her hand. "Ilyria, Come forth, that I may know thy face."

Ilyria screamed. "NO! I won't be sent back."

Archa put her hand on Ilyria's forehead. "You know who I am. You cannot fight me."

"I won't go back!"

"Ilyria! Come forth!" Ilyria screamed again, and a white light began to pour out of her. Soon Ilyria was in the form of an almost transparent demon. When Ilyria's energy left her body, Fred's energy returned to it. Fred collapsed on the ground, and Wesley rushed over to her.

Ilyria glared at Archa. "I won't be sent back!"

"Be silent! You have no power here. Go back to the depths from which you came!" Ilyria shrieked and vanished. The others where staring at Archa.

"Morgan?" Angel whispered.

"Bloody looks like her." Said Spike.

Wesley shook his head. "I don't think that's the same Morgan that you two remember."

Archa smiled. "You presume correctly. My name is Archa. I was a warrior, like yourselves. I was killed long ago in a great battle. However, the powers were not willing to give me up. I have been waiting to be of use to them for quite some time."

"But you look exactly like Morgan." Angel said.

Archa looked at her hands. "Ah yes… your friend… I'd almost forgotten."

Spike looked livid. "Forgotten what, exactly?"

"The powers were kind enough to lend me her body." When she saw the anger in their eyes, she quickly added "Temporarily of course. She's better off now than if I had left her where she was."

Angel was furious. "What the hell do you mean, 'where she was'?"

Archa looked surprised. "You mean you don't know. She's spent 700 years in a hell dimension."

Everyone's mouth dropped. "Are you off your bloody rocker? Morgan isn't even 300!"

"Not in this dimension she isn't. Time works differently in other dimensions. But enough talk, you may have your friend back. She has suffered enough." Archa's eyes glowed white. A blinding light began to pour out of her. It flowed upward and disappeared into the night sky.

When the light was gone, Angel Spike, Gunn, Wesley and Fred turned their gazes toward Morgan. She was crouched near the ground. A wild look of terror was in her eyes. The white gown was gone, and she was wearing the ragged clothes she had been wearing in the hell dimension. The back of her shirt was ripped open. Her back was covered in cuts and scars. Her skin was covered in blood and dirt. Her hair was now dirty and matted. Angel reached out to her. "Morgan."

His hand brushed her shoulder. Morgan growled and pulled away. "It's alright. It's me, Angel." Morgan growled again, then, suddenly shoved past Angel and ran off into the night. Spike looked ready to go after her.

Angel stopped him. "She'll come back when she's ready."

Fred, who was still shaken from sharing her body with Ilyria, now stood next to Wesley. "How do you know she'll come back?"

Angel didn't even blink. "She always comes back."


	11. She Always Comes Back

One week later

About an hour after sunset, Angel, Wesley, Fred and Gunn were in the library of the large stone house they had moved into after the incident with Wolfram & Hart. The library opened onto a balcony that overlooked the front garden. Wesley was sitting on a desk, Fred and Gunn had each claimed one of the two leather couches, Angel was standing and looking at Wesley, who was talking. "You can't still be hoping that she'll come back."

"Yes, Wesley, I can."

"But it's been an entire week, Angel. There hasn't been any sign of her. No maimmings, no killings, she's gone."

"She's not gone. She's just hiding."

"Hiding? Angel, really, without eating?"

"You don't know she isn't eating. When I came back, I lived off of rabbits and rats. She's hiding, I can tell."

"Actually, I believe the phrase you meant to say is 'was hiding.'" Spike said as he entered the room.

Angel looked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"She's outside." Angel and Wesley rushed over to the window. Sure enough, Morgan was outside. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing the week before. The wild look of terror that had been in her eyes had changed into watchful fear. After watching her for a few minutes, Angel walked out the door.

"Do you think we should follow him?" Fred asked.

Spike shook his head. "Angel knows what he's doing. He loves Morgan close to the way he loved Buffy."

Wesley, Gunn and Fred were staring at him. "How would you know that?" Gunn asked.

"Morgan and Angel have had a thing for each other ever since he sired her."

"Wait a minute; you're saying Angelus sired Morgan?"

"Exactly. Angelus sired Morgan. Morgan and Angelus sired Drusilla. And Drusilla sired me. Morgan's soul kicked in before Angelus was cursed, so she ran off and hid with a bunch of gypsies. The last time I saw her was when we wiped out their camp." When Spike finished the story, he went back to the window. "Wonder what he's saying to her." He muttered.

Angel stood a few feet away from Morgan and held out his hand to her. "Morgan… It's alright. You're safe now." Morgan stepped towards him and took his hand. Then, without warning, she collapsed. Angel picked her up and carried her inside.

When he entered the house, Spike looked the most concerned. "What the bloody hell happened out there?"

Angel moved past him. "She's fine. Just passed out. She probably hasn't been eating much." Angel carried Morgan into his room and laid her on the bed. He covered her with a soft blanket and then went to talk with the others. He shut the door to his room behind him. When he entered the living room, the others looked up at him. "Nobody goes in that room without me."

"Angel, be reasonable." Wesley protested.

"I am being reasonable. She has a soul, but she's been in a hell dimension for 700 years, enduring who-knows-what, so she isn't exactly stable at the moment."

Wesley nodded and sat back down, placing his arm around Fred. Spike looked at Angel's door. "You sure you can handle her yourself?"

Angel shrugged. "If I need help, I'll ask for it." Spike made no reply. Angel went into the kitchen. When he returned a few minutes later, he was carrying a coffee mug and a straw. "I'm going to see if I can get Morgan to drink some of this blood. Why don't you go out for dinner or something? I'll be fine." Without even waiting for a reply, he went back into his room and locked the door.

Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Spike exchanged a look. Fred stood up. "We might as well. I know I'm starving." Wesley and Gunn both grinned.

Wes stood and kissed Fred. "I think we could all use a good meal." A few minutes later, the house was deserted.

Angel knelt by his bed. Using the straw as a sort of dropper, he began to feed the blood into Morgan's mouth. After several mouthfuls, Morgan woke up. She looked around the room wildly and then back at Angel. "Angel?" She whispered. "Are you real?"

Angel smiled. "Yes, Morgan, I'm real. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Morgan nodded. "He was there, Angel." She whispered.

Angel looked concerned. "Who was there?"

"Caleb." Angel took her hand. The wind began to howl outside the window. Morgan sat up, looking terrified. "Don't let them find me."

Angel sat on the bed and put his arms around Morgan. She buried her face in Angel's chest. "Shh… you're safe now… Here, drink this. You'll feel better." He handed her the mug of blood and stood up. "I'll be right back." He said as left the room. When he came back, Angel was carrying several wash cloths and a bowl of water. He set them down, next to the bed. He took the first rag and dipped it in the water. He then began to clean the mixture of blood and dust off of her face. "I need you to lie on your stomach, Morgan."

She obeyed hesitantly. Angel moved her hair away and then cut away the remains of the back of her thread-bare and ragged shirt. As gently and tenderly as possible, he started to clean her back. Morgan winced. Many cuts hadn't closed yet, because they had gone so deep. When he had finished, Angel walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a plain, white t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms. "Here, put these on. Fred probably has clothes that would fit better, but these should do for now."

Morgan accepted the items and began to silently change. Angel shuddered when he saw the scars and cuts that covered her arms and legs. When Morgan finished changing, Angel took another rag and began to wipe off her arms. She pulled away when he got to her left hand. Angel gently caught her wrist. There was a ring on her finger. He recognized it as a claddagh ring. He had given it to her soon after he had sired her. "Don't worry." He whispered. "I won't take it from you."

He brought her hand, which had closed into a fist, up to his mouth and kissed the ring. "Why don't you lie down? It'll be sunrise in a few hours." Morgan nodded and curled up on her side, trying to make herself as small as possible. Angel took off his shirt and lay down on the floor. Morgan refused to take her eyes off of him.

Soon after 11 pm, Fred and Wesley came back to the house. Spike and Gunn had decided to go to a club. Wesley sat down on a couch and Fred joined him. He put his arm around her, pulling her close. Fred laid her head on his chest. "This is the first time I've had you all to myself since…" His voice trailed off.

"Ilyria." Fred whispered.

Wesley leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "You're amazing."

Fred looked up at him and grinned. "That's why you love me."

Wes smiled. "One reason, yes… Fred, there's something I need to ask you."

Fred looked surprised and curious. "Ask me?"

He got down on one knee and took her left hand. "Winifred Burkle, will you marry me?"

Fred smiled and blinked back tears. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't." Wes replied. "Now at the risk of a broken heart,

I'll ask you again. Will you marry me?"

Fred stood, grinning from ear to ear. "Well… Yes. Yes, Wesley, I will marry you."

Wesley stood up, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her, deeply and passionately. At that moment, Spike and Gunn walked in. "Man… you must have missed having her to yourself more than I thought." Gunn smiled.

"Bloody hell! Are you blind? He's gone and proposed to her, you git."

Gunn's mouth dropped. "Come again."

Wesley and Fred smiled at each other. "I think someone's going to have trouble adjusting." Fred teased.

Gunn laughed softly and shook his head. "No, really, you just took me by surprise, but congratulations you two."

"What he said." Spike agreed. He was looking at Angel's door. "He come out of there yet?"

Wesley shook his head. "Not since Fred and I got back."

Gunn yawned. "Well, as exciting as this evening has been, I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Charles." Fred grinned.

Wesley nodded, and then turned his attention back to Fred. "It is getting rather late."

Fred smiled. "Always my protector."

"Don't ever expect any different." Wesley replied as he leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met briefly.

Spike cleared his throat. "You two love birds have heard of a room."

Wes gave him a slightly annoyed look as Fred blushed. "Goodnight, Spike." She said as she followed Wesley into his room. Wesley shut the door behind them.

Spike rolled his eyes and began shutting the curtains. When he was finished with that, he plopped down on the couch that was facing Angel's room. "He's gotta come out of there eventually." He muttered and closed his eyes. "And I intend to be right here when he does."

Morgan couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, images of the hell dimension came to her mind. She stood up and began to quietly pace the room, being careful not to wake Angel. Her joints and muscles were stiff from the beatings and the torture she had received. She shivered; she had become accustomed to the heat of the hell dimension. She went over to the window and pulled open the curtains. Moonlight poured in around her. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass and sighed. She tried to recall the last time she had seen the moon before being rescued from the hell dimension. She couldn't remember; it had been so long.

She looked over at Angel's shirtless form. He looked so stunning in the moonlight. Morgan let the curtain fall back into place. Angel stirred slightly. Morgan froze, somewhat panicked. She walked over to Angel and lay down on the floor, curling up as close to him as possible. Angel woke up. He brushed her still matted hair away from her neck, only to uncover more scars. "What did they do to you?" He whispered. He shuddered slightly as he recalled his own experience in a hell dimension. He kissed the back of her neck ever so softly, vowing not to let anything happen to her ever again.


	12. Dreams and Visions

**Author's Note: **Ok, this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but it needed to be ended where it does.

* * *

"_I will find you." The voice whispered. "There is no use trying to hide." She looked around frantically for the source of the voice. She couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. Someone came up behind her and grabbed her arm. She turned with a start. _

_It was Angel. "Come on, this way." She shook her head. "You'll be safe if you come with me." She looked around nervously and decided to follow him. He led her down an alley. There was a bright, hot light at the end of the alley. _

"_Angel, I don't think we should go down there." _

"_You're the only one who will be going there." He replied. She looked at him in bewilderment. She didn't have time to react as Angel punched her and sent her flying back into the light. She tried to stop herself before she hit the light, but something reached out and grabbed her. _

"_I found you…" the voice hissed. "…I told you I would." She panicked. Without thinking, she brought her elbow up to where she hopped the face would be…_

Angel jolted awake as Morgan's elbow smashed into his face. She was still asleep. She seemed to be fighting an invisible enemy. Sweat was pouring off of her. Her face contorted. Whatever she was fighting, she was fighting it hard. Suddenly Morgan jolted awake, gasping for air that she didn't need. There was a look of wild terror in her eyes. She spotted Angel and backed away.

Angel looked concerned. "It's alright, Morgan. It was just a dream." Morgan shuddered as her face returned to normal. Angel stood up. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Morgan nodded.

Angel walked out into the living room. Spike woke up instantly. "What's going on in there Angel?"

Angel gave him a look. "Stay out of it, Spike."

"What are you going to do? You can't keep her locked up in there forever."

"She isn't locked up. She'll come out when she's ready."

"Or when you're done with her. Besides, who made you the one in control of Morgan?"

"I never said I was controlling her. But the fact that I'm the one in this group who spent time in a hell dimension does give me a bit of seniority. I can tell just by looking at her that she's endured far worse than I did."

"So then what's your big plan?"

"My plan is to give her somewhere safe to hide and to make sure she has whatever she needs. Now, if you'll excuse me, I haven't eaten lately." Angel walked to the kitchen and

Spike followed him as he went to the refrigerator and pulled out some blood.

"That's a lot of blood."

"It's not all for me." Angel shot back as he pulled out two mugs from a cabinet. There was a moment of silence.

"So, Wes and Fred are getting married."

Angel looked up from the microwave. "Really? When did this happen?"

"Just a few hours ago, you were with Morgan."

Angel looked annoyed again. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Spike shrugged. "Nothing, just that you were otherwise occupied." Angel picked up the mugs and headed back to his room. Spike followed. "You're going back in there?"

"It's still my room, Spike."

"I realize that, just don't get too cozy. You're easier to deal with than Angelus." Angel ignored the comment and went back into his room, closing the door behind him.

Morgan was sitting curled up in a corner. Angel walked over to her and sat down next to her. He looked at her for a moment, studying her. Her arms encircled her legs, and she had her knees drawn up under her chin. He touched her shoulder. She flinched. Angel saw his mistake; blood began to seep through the cloth of her shirtsleeve. "Hold still." He whispered as he pulled the sleeve away from the wound. It was shallow gash, but it was new.

He looked at her hand and fingernails. They were covered in blood, her own blood. She must have scratched her shoulder without realizing it until the wound was deep. Angel stood up and got a tube of medication and some gauze from his dresser. He came back and reclaimed his spot next to Morgan. "I'm going to put some ointment on this cut. It will sting, because the cut is so deep, but don't pull away."

Morgan looked at the floor, and Angel felt her tense as she anticipated the pain. He gently took her hand. "Try to relax, Morgan. The less you tense up, the less it will hurt." He felt her muscles relax a lit. He dabbed the ointment onto the cut. She winced and a small growl escaped her lips. When he was finished, he gently wrapped the gauze around her arm. "There, it's done."

She looked up at him. "Where is Connor?"

Angel looked stunned. "What do you mean? You never met Connor."

Morgan looked at the floor. "Maybe I imagined him." She muttered.

Angel turned so he could look in her eyes. "Morgan, look at me." She raised her head timidly. "What are you not telling me?"

She blinked back tears. "I did meet Connor. I saved him."

"What did you save him from?"

"My father." Morgan replied. "I took to the Quar-toth and he found the way back. We were happy. The three of us were together. Then…" She looked away.

"What happened?"

"We lost our souls. Wolf, Ram, Hart… the three stole our souls. And I helped them do it."

"What happened after that?"

"Spike and Drusilla came, we took over a town. Sunnydale… We killed the slayer and her friends. My soul came back. I ran away. I sought out the powers. They erased me from the past. I was sent to hell to pay for our sins. 700 years, I gave up hope of redemption. Then I was called out. They brought me back here." She refused to look at Angel. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Angel turned so that his back was once more against the wall. He pulled Morgan into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Angel kissed the top of her head. "Shh… It's alright Morgan. Connor is safe."

It was nearing dawn. Morgan was asleep. Her head was resting on Angel's tear-soaked shirt. In the silence, Angel realized how much he had missed holding her. He was glad she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. She had literally gone through hell, and he hated himself for that. He kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well, little one." He said and then drifted off to sleep.

_Morgan sat on a park bench, resting her left hand on her swollen belly. Her wedding ring glittered in the sunlight. Angel wrapped his tanned arms around her. "How do you feel Katie?"_

_She grinned up at him. "Wonderful Liam, but you are blocking my sun." He laughed._

_"Angel! Heads up!" Spike called as he tossed a football. Angel caught it and gave his wife a quick kiss. Morgan, Fred and Buffy watched as the four guys started a game of football. Buffy was showing her eight month pregnancy. Morgan was nearing her ninth month and Fred wasn't showing as much at three months. Suddenly, Morgan smelled blood._

She woke with a start. Angel had just set a mug of warm blood on the night stand next to her. He looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

Morgan rubbed her head. "Nothing, it was just a dream. But it was strange, almost like a vision… but more real." She said taking a drink of the blood.

Angel smiled. "You must be ready to get out of this room."

Morgan sighed. "The quiet is nice, but I am getting a bit restless." She said as she ran her fingers though her hair. She looked at the tangled mess in disgust. "This is one of those times when I'm glad I don't have a reflection."

Angel grinned. "I'll ask Fred if she has an extra brush."

"Thanks, Angel."

Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Spike were sitting in the living room when Angel came out of his room, followed by Morgan. "Everyone, this is Morgan." Angel said. "Morgan this is Wesley, Fred, Gunn, and you already know Spike." Morgan smiled her greeting. "Fred, would you mind if Morgan borrowed some clothes and a hairbrush?"

Fred smiled. "Of course! My room is this way." Morgan was about to follow when a vision struck her, knocking her to the ground.

_A final battle. Shanshu. _

_Destiny._

Angel helped Morgan to her feet. "Are you alright?"

Morgan nodded as she massaged her throbbing head. "We've got trouble."

Morgan explained her vision. "Bloody hell…" Spike said. "Didn't we just do this?"

"Doesn't matter" Angel said. "Morgan's visions aren't wrong. Morgan, any idea about when to expect the battle?"

"Tomorrow night around midnight. The battle will most likely be at the center of town."

"Doesn't give us much time." Gunn said.

"We'll be ready. I'll call Buffy and let her know what's going on." Angel replied.

As Angel was calling Buffy, Fred helped Morgan find some suitable clothes. Morgan sat crossed-legged on the floor in jeans and a red t-shirt. Fred babbled away explaining in detail the events of the past two years. "…And then you showed up, but you weren't you. You were someone else. And you kicked Ilyria back to wherever it is she came from. Then whoever was using your body left, but you were still here, and Angel tried to talk to you. But you ran away, and then you showed up again. But you know about that." Morgan grinned. She liked the tiny Texan.


	13. Final Battle Again?

Buffy, who had been in New York, arrived just after sunset the following evening. She was more than surprised to see Spike. "Andrew told me you were back, but I thought he was just being comforting." She said wiping tears away from her eyes.

"I guess my job wasn't quite finished, love."

Buffy couldn't stop herself from hugging him. "I wasn't just saying it when I told you that I love you." She said softly.

Spike blinked in surprise, and then grinned from ear to ear. "Bloody glad to hear that." He said wrapping his arms around Buffy's small frame and pulling her into his arms for a tender yet passionate kiss.

Angel and the others entered the room and stood quietly watching the two reunited lovers. Surprisingly enough, now that Morgan was back in his life, Angel wasn't jealous. Wesley cleared his throat in a vain attempt to get their attention. "Spike! You two need some alone time?" Gunn said loudly. Spike glared at him.

Buffy blushed slightly and turned to Angel. "Well, I'm here. What's up?"

"Buffy, this is Morgan. She's the reason I called you…"

"I'm assuming introducing me to your new girlfriend isn't the main reason I'm here."

"Morgan has visions. She's been having them for…"

"…A long time." Morgan interrupted. "This last one was big, really _BIG_."

"I'm listening."

"There's a battle coming. A final battle… Evil will descend on Los Angeles. If we don't stop it…"

"All hell breaks loose, literally. I get it." Buffy said with a small sigh. "So how much time do we have?"

"Not much, the battle is tonight. I would have called the others but there wasn't time. They wouldn't have gotten here until after it was over." Angel replied.

"You're right, that isn't much time. But we've dealt with worse. Let's talk strategy."

Wesley, Fred, Gunn, Spike and Buffy went into the other room. Angel stayed behind to talk with Morgan. "Are you sure she can handle this, Angel?"

"Don't worry. We'll do battle, and then the five of us will come back to you and Fred safe and sound."

Morgan looked confused. "What are you talking about? If you think I'm staying behind while you go off and fight the final battle, then you've bloody well got another thing coming!" Morgan growled. Her faint Irish accent got thicker when she was angry.

"Morgan, I just got you back. I won't risk losing you again. I can't even bear the thought of it."

Morgan nodded. She could tell he was serious. "Alright, I'll stay behind."

Angel grinned and kissed the top of her head. "Good, besides, Fred can't stay behind all alone. Someone needs to protect her."

"You're giving me a job, so I won't feel useless."

"I've got to do something. I can't have you mad at me when I get back."

"I'm mad at you now." Morgan replied.

"Why…? Because I'm protecting you?"

"No, because I don't want to lose you, _again!_"

Angel caught Morgan's chin in his hand. "You won't lose me, I promise." He said as his lips gently brushed against hers.

As 11:00pm approached, the five fighters began to assemble their weapons of choice. They gathered at the door at 11:15pm. "Everyone ready?" Buffy asked. They nodded.

"Good, let's fight this thing." She said as they left.

Morgan waited five minutes and then began to gather her own weapons.

"What are you doing?" A very confused Fred asked.

"I'm going to join the fight." Morgan replied as she grabbed a sword.

"But didn't Angel say to stay here?"

"We're part of the battle, Fred. There has to be seven of us or everyone dies."

Fred looked stunned. "How can I help?"

Morgan grinned. "When Ilyria left you, she left part of herself behind. Her power is inside of you. All you have to do is tap into it."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Fred asked selecting weapons for herself.

"Not a bloody thing." Morgan replied.

It was pouring down rain as Angel, Buffy and the others made their way to the center of town. "I want us fighting in pairs." Buffy ordered. "Human with vampire, I'll be running between the two groups, understood." They nodded. A motorcycle screeched to a halt in front of them. The two riders pulled off their helmets.

"Fred…?" Wesley asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help, and you can't talk me out of it Wesley."

Wesley grinned. "Wouldn't dream of trying."

Angel was having a bit more of a difficult conversation. "Damn it, Morgan, I thought I told you to stay behind!"

"Not a chance, Angel. You wouldn't let me tell you the rest of the vision at the house, so I'm telling you now. There has to be seven, Angel. If you send me away, then they win and the world goes to shite."

"I'm not letting you fight, that's an order."

"And since when do I listen to orders? Besides, you fight at your best when I'm by your side. Since this is the final battle, you'd best be at the very top of your game."

Angel sighed. "Fine, you win."

Morgan grinned and gave him a light kiss. "I thought you might say that."

The ground began to shake as an enormous horde of demons came into view.

"Here we go again." Gunn muttered.

The demons attacked without mercy, slashing at every shadow. Morgan and Angel leapt on top of a dragon. They brought their sword through the dragon's neck, in a scissor-like movement. The decapitated dragon crashed to the ground. The fire from its last breath, combined with the massive size of its body, took out nearly half the demon force.

Morgan rolled to avoid the flame, and then jumped into fighting position, next to Buffy.

She scanned the oncoming force and spotted what she was looking for. "Buffy, Angel! We need to take out the demon with the amulet in the center. He's the one giving the horde its power." She shouted over the clamor of crashing swords.

"How can we do that?" Buffy shouted back.

"Fall back a little, we need to be together!"

Buffy sprinted over to Wesley, Fred, Gunn and Spike. She gave the order and they moved back. Angel and Morgan soon met up with them. Morgan looked over at Fred. "You have the power, Fred… Use it!"

Wesley looked confused as Fred's eyes flashed to a deep blue. She grinned. "We move together… on three!" Morgan shouted. "One… Two… THREE!" As if they were one entity, the group of seven moved forward towards the central demon. They killed everything in their path. Finally, they reached their destination.

Morgan leapt up onto the demon's neck. She brought her sword down onto its neck. The chain holding the amulet fell to the ground and shattered into a million tiny pieces. When this happened, a brilliant light shot out in every direction, it disappeared and left only about two dozen remaining demons.

The seven went to work quickly. Twenty minutes later, the last demon had been slain. The rain was still pouring down, but not quite as heavily. Morgan looked up at the sky. "What the hell…?"

Three beams of brilliant white light shot down from the heavens. Each beam engulfed one of the vampires. The four humans stood in shock as they watched the lights course through the bodies of the three warriors. Then, as abruptly as it had come, the light disappeared. The three vampires collapsed onto to the cold, wet pavement. They were motionless.

Buffy was the first to snap out of the shock. "Spike!" She screamed as she raced forward. She wasn't about to let him die on her again. She knelt next to him and cradled his head in her hands. Tears were streaming down her face. "Spike, don't you dare leave me again!"

Without warning, Spike opened his eyes and began gasping for breath. Spike smiled up at Buffy as oxygen coursed through his body. He grasped her hand. "I've got something to show you, pet." He placed her hand inside his shirt. Buffy jumped, slightly startled, and then leaned down to kiss him.

"You've got a heartbeat." She said smiling.

Angel groaned as he opened his eyes, vaguely aware of his surroundings. Someone had his wrist. "He's got a pulse and he's breathing." A voice said.

"Same with Morgan." Another voice replied.

Angel was suddenly aware that oxygen was necessary, and he could feel the sensation of his heart beat. His vision cleared. "What the hell is going on?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, literally." Gunn said grinning from ear to ear.

"What…? You mean..?"

"You're human, Angel." Wesley responded. "All three of you are."

"Of course, Morgan is still unconscious." Fred added.

Angel sat up and looked over to where Morgan lay motionless, except for the steady rise and fall of her chest. A grin played at the edges of his mouth. The next thing Angel noticed was Buffy and Spike sitting against a wall and grinning like idiots at each other. "So we're all alive? We're all…human?" Angel asked. "How is that possible?"

Grunn shrugged. "My guess is that that Shanshu thing was real."

Angel looked over at Morgan again. She was still unconscious. "Will she be alright?" He asked, the concern was evident in his voice.

"She'll be pretty weak when she first wakes up, but in the end she should be fine." Wesley replied gently.

"Good, let's get her back to the house."


	14. Engagements

Hours later, Angel and Spike stood watching the sunrise. Angel smiled as the golden light bathed his skin in warmth. "Over 200 years and…"

"It's still bloody amazing." Spike finished.

Buffy came up behind Spike and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Enjoying the sunrise?"

Spike nodded. "It's been a while between them, Buff."

"I know. Fred wanted me to tell you two that breakfast is ready. She made chocolate pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream."

Spike and Angel exchanged a look and eagerly followed Buffy inside. After devouring two helpings, Spike stood and looked down at Buffy. "Need to talk to you slayer." He said affectionately. She smiled, got up and followed him into another room. The remaining four exchanged a knowing look. Angel stood and took his plate to the sink.

"I think I'll go check on Morgan."

Spike shut the door to the library and turned to look at Buffy. Suddenly he was nervous.

"Buffy, you know that I love you, right?"

Buffy nodded. "I love you too, Spike."

Spike grinned. "There's something I have to ask you."

"Ask me anything."

"Buffy, I know I've been a complete ass at times. We've had more than our fair share of fights. But I'd like to change that. What I'm trying to say is… Could you find it in your heart to… well… oh, bloody hell." Spike got down on one knee and took Buffy's hand in his. "Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"

Angel shut the door behind him as he entered the bedroom where Morgan lay sleeping. He opened the thick curtains, allowing the sunlight to flood the room. He walked over to the bed where Morgan was lying. He bent down and pressed his lips against hers. "Wake up soon, Katie." He whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at Angel. "Hello, love." She whispered.

"Hi, precious." Angel said.

She looked over at the window. "The sunlight is so pretty. Wait, why am I not on fire?"

Angel struggled to hold back a laugh. "Because you're not a vampire anymore; Katie, you're human."

Katie gasped as she suddenly realized her heart was beating. A grin spread across her face as she reached up to touch Angel's chest. "So that's what your heart beat feels like, Liam."

Liam smiled and, as he leaned down to kiss her, Katie's stomach growled. "Somebody's hungry." Liam said laughingly. "Fred fixed breakfast, and there is still plenty left for you."

Katie grinned. "Food sounds wonderful." She said as she sat up. Her legs were wobbly as she tried to stand. Liam slipped his arm around her waist and helped her into the kitchen.

Tears filled Buffy's eyes. She could hardly believe that Spike was human. She'd had trouble enough believing that he was still around. Now he was human and he was asking her to marry him. How could she say no? She had dreamed about this moment, even after she had thought that she had lost him forever. She'd realized a while ago that her love for Spike was deeper than her love for Angel. "Yes, Spike, I'll marry you."

Relief washed over Spike's face, and then a feeling of pure joy flooded over him like a tidal wave. He stood, wrapped his arms around Buffy and then kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

Later that afternoon

Liam and Katie were curled up on the couch. Liam was reading, and Katie had fallen asleep. The curtain was open and sunlight was streaming into the library. They had both been soaking up the light all afternoon. The other couples were out looking for engagement rings. Katie stirred and looked up at Liam. "Something is bothering me."

"What's that?"

"You signed away your right to the Shanshu, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"But you're human. Does that make any sense to you?"

Liam shook his head. "No, it really doesn't."

"So that leaves me wondering if you know where I can find a copy of the original text and a translation."

Liam nodded. "Yes, but can you read it?"

Katie nodded. "My father taught me the demon languages before I began having visions.

Liam grinned. "I'll get them for you." He said as he got up and walked over to a safe. He opened it and pulled out two parchments. He brought them over to the couch and handed them to Katie. "Have at it."

Katie glanced at the original text and then at the English translation. "There's a part that wasn't translated. But it doesn't make sense, unless…" She paused.

"Unless what…?"

Katie held up her hand and muttered something about the parsing of a particular verb.

"That's it!" She said excitedly a few minutes later.

"What's it?"

"You see this symbol?" Liam nodded. "It's the symbol for vampire. However, like so many other ancient verbs, it can be translated as singular or plural depending on the context."

"Which means?"

"This means that when the entire passage is translated correctly, it basically says that when the leader performs the ultimate in self-sacrifice then the vampires with a soul would become human. When you gave away your right to Shanshu, you gave up something you wanted more than anything."

"So you're saying…"

"I'm saying that you gave it up to help it come true."

"Have I told you that I love you today?"

"Yes, but I could always stand to hear it again." Katie said with a teasing grin.

The front door opened as Wesley, Spike, and Gunn trooped in. "Ange… Liam, could we

have a word?" Wesley asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" Angel asked as he stood and followed the other men.

When the men were gone, Fred and Buffy cornered Katie. "C'mon, girl, we're going shopping." Buffy said.

"Why?"

"Because you need a dress." Fred replied.

"And shoes…" Buffy added as they ushered Katie to the car.

"Why do I need a dress?" Katie asked as they drove off.

"Angel…er, Liam is taking you out to dinner tonight."

"He is? He didn't tell me about this plan."

"Because he thought it would be later; now quit asking questions and have fun shopping." Buffy giggled.

Later that evening

Liam stood in the living room, nervously adjusting and fiddling with his tie. "Angel, quit

with the bloody fidgeting!" Spike ordered.

"Sorry, just a bit nervous I guess."

The door to Fred's bedroom opened and Buffy walked out. She was grinning like a fool. "She'll be out in a minute." She said as she observed Liam's nervous stance. She hadn't seen him in a tux since her high school prom. The door opened again and Katie walked out. She looked stunning in her floor-length, black evening gown. Her hair was swept back in an elegant up-do.

Liam grinned. "You look amazing." He said softly as he offered her his arm.

She accepted his arm and the compliment with a blush. "Thank you. You look nice too." She said quietly.

After dinner, Liam sat silently across from Katie at a rather posh restaurant. Katie placed her slender hand gently on top of his larger hand. "Liam, what's wrong? You've been so quiet and fidgety."

Liam placed his free hand on top of Katie's hand. "There's something I need to ask you. But I'm not sure if I should. I mean, I've done a lot of things in my time that I'm ashamed of. I've hurt you in more ways than I ever make up for…"

Katie gripped his hand. "All that is in the past, Liam." She said softly.

While still holding onto her hand, Liam slipped to one knee and pulled out a small black box from his pocket. "Katherine, could you possibly… Well, I love you. I want to marry you. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man on earth?"

Katie's hand flew up to her mouth. She nodded furiously, because she suddenly couldn't get words to come out of her mouth. "Yes… of course… Yes, Liam, I'll marry you." She stammered when she was finally able to speak.

Liam grinned, stood, and slipped the ring on her finger. Then he pulled Katie into his arms and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Katie." He whispered.

"I love you too." She said as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Buffy paced around the living room anxiously. Spike stood, caught hold of her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Buffy, luv, pacing won't make them come home any faster. Besides, you already know that she's gonna say yes."

Buffy turned in his arms so she could look at him. "of course I know that, but I haven't seen the ring yet."

"I've seen it. It's nice." Spike said with a playful grin.

Buffy looked half-way annoyed. "That's so not fair." She said with a pout."

"Love, you don't know how adorable you are when you pout."

Buffy looped her arms around Spike's neck. "Well, maybe you'll just have to show me."

"That could take a while."

Buffy pulled his mouth to hers briefly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Liam and Katie walked slowly back to the apartment. Liam's arm was wrapped protectively around Katie's shoulder, and Katie's arm was around his waist. Katie had been quiet for the majority of the walk. "What are you thinking, precious?" Liam asked.

A grin tugged at the corners of Katie's mouth. "We should get married in Ireland. In a castle."

Liam laughed softly. "Did you have a particular castle in mind?"

"No, not yet."

Liam grinned. "It's settled then. You select the castle and we'll get married there." He said softly. And for a moment there was nothing else left to be said.

Buffy and Spike were curled up on the couch and sound asleep by the time Liam and Katie walked back into the apartment. "It's about time Spike fell in love with someone normal." Katie whispered.

Liam grinned. "Buffy isn't exactly normal. But considering we're talking about Spike, Buffy is as close to normal as he'll ever get."

"Would you two gits sod off? Tryin' to get some bloody sleep around here." Spike grumbled.

Liam and Katie grinned at each other and then snuck off to the room they now shared. Liam kicked the door shut behind them and pulled Katie close to him. Moonlight flooded the room and illuminated Katie's face. Liam brushed a strand of hair away from his lover's eyes. "My god, you're beautiful." He whispered before he kissed her forehead.

"I love you." Katie said softly.

"I love you too." Liam said as he played with the zipper on the back of Katie's dress.

Katie undid the buttons on Liam's shirt and pushed it off of his shoulders. She ran her fingers across his chest. "Who would have imagined this moment all those years ago?"

Liam laughed softly. "I sure as hell didn't. What did you do all those years we were apart?"

Katie shrugged. "I hid most of the time. I went from town to town. I helped were I could and hid were I wasn't welcome. There were a few times when I followed you. I didn't stay in Europe the entire time. I came to New York for a few years."

Liam nodded. "I remember seeing you there. You warned me about school girls. I finally figured out what you meant."

Katie looked up at Liam's solemn face. "Really?"

Liam nodded. "It was Buffy. I fell in love with her and ended up losing my soul." He paused.

"Put it behind you, love." Katie whispered.

Liam shook his head. "How can I?" I nearly destroyed the world."

"No, Angelus did that. But in case you've forgotten, you're not him. As far as I'm concerned, Liam, you never were. So quit with your brooding and kiss me." Katie said with a grin.

Liam smiled. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Yes, but you need to show me." Katie replied playfully as she walked towards the bed.

"Come here, you minx." Liam laughed as he wrapped his muscular arms around her and scooped her up.

"Put me down."

"As you wish my dear." Liam said as he dropped her on the bed. He sat next to her with one arm on either side of her. "Here I was thinking you'd be exhausted after all that shopping you did today."

"Under normal circumstances I would be; however, as I've recently become engaged, I feel I could stay up all night."

"Well then, miss, let's say we get rid of some of that newfound energy?"

"My dear sir, what pray tell did you have in mind?" Katie laughed, slipping out her dress.

Liam pulled her closer to him and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. "How much energy do you have?" He placed one hand behind her neck and pulled her lips to his. The other hand roamed her back.

Katie broke the kiss long enough to say "I guess you're about to find out."


End file.
